k- 


"  Well,  my  friend,  can  I  do  anything  for  you?  " —  Page  81. 


ECHOING  AND  RE-ECHOING. 


BY 

FAYE  HUNTINGTON. 

AUTHOR  OF    "  THOSE  BOYS,"    "DR.   DEANE'S  WAY,"    "MRS. 

DEANE'S  WAY,"  &c. 


BOSTON: 
D.    LOTHROP    AND    COMPANY, 

FRANKLIN  ST.,  CORNER  OF  HAWLEY. 


LOTHROP   St   CO. 
1878. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PACK. 

i. — BEGINNINGS 7 

2. — ECHOES  FROM  THE  PAST 22 

3. — A  SUCCESSFUL  EXPERIMENT 32 

4. — Miss  ELMER'S  SACRIFICE 42 

5. — FULFILLING  THE  LAW 53 

6. — HELEN'S  OPPORTUNITIES 63 

7. — FOR  CHRIST'S  SAKE 75 

8. — A  DINNER-TABLE  TALK 86 

9. — GOING  FORWARD 95 

10. — HELEN  GETS  AHEAD 105 

ii. — SEVERAL  SURPRISED  PEOPLE 115 

12. — HELEN'S  PRONOUNS 128 

iii. 


2061S2G 


iv.  CONTENTS. 

13. — "AND  PETER" 142 

14. — THE  END  OF  THE  QUARREL 161 

15. — SURPRISES 175 

16. — CALLED  EARLY 190 

17. — MRS.  MOSHIER  is  DISTURBED 200 

18. — LEAVING  THE  RANKS 216 

19. — MR.  HARLEY  SPEAKS 229 

20. — HELEN  AND  TOM 242 

21. — HELEN  DECIDES  A  QUESTION 255 

22. — CHRISTIAN  GIVING 271 

23. — FRAGMENTS 284 

24. — UP  THE  MOUNTAIN 297 


"  Speaking  once  upon  the  hill  tops,  hill  after  hill  took  up 
the  sound  until  the  whole  air  was  filled  with  my  single 
words,  and  it  seemed  as  if  a  thousand  voices  more  powerful 
than  my  own  were  throwing  back  the  words  spoken  by  me. 
So  every  minister  ought  to  have  a  repeating  church,  and 
every  living  heart  in  it  ought  to  take  up  the  sermon  in  its 
essential  truths,  and  reverberate  it  until  the  whole  moral 
air  around  him  is  full  of  echoing  and  re-echoing." 


ECHOING   AND    RE-ECHOING. 


CHAPTER    I. 

BEGINNINGS. 
"GO  WOEK  TO-DAY  IN  MY  VINEYARD." 


WO  young  men,  Robert  Niles  and  New- 
ton Clark,  met  as  they  were  hurrying, 
one  up,  the  other  down,  George  street.  They 
forgot  their  hurry,  forgot  that  there  was  any  busi- 
ness in  the  world  to  need  their  attention,  in 
their  surprise  and  pleasure.  They  had  been 
college  classmates,  and  since  the  day  of  their 
graduation  they  had  not  met  until  now,  here  on 
the  busy  street. 

"  Well,"   said   Newton  Clark,   "  where   from, 
when,  and  for  how  long  ?  " 

7 


8  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  From  Chicago,  yesterday,  and  probably  for 
years  ;  perhaps  for  all  time,"  returned  the  other, 
laughing ;  then  by  way  of  explanation  added :  "  I 
expect  to  go  in  with  Smith  &  Ryle.  And  now 
may  I  ask  of  you  where,  what,  and  how  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  a  fixture  back  here  among  the  hills, 
a  staid,  steady-going  farmer,  with  a  wife  and  a 
baby.  I  am  glad  that  you  have  come  back  to 
stay."  Then,  as  if  a  new  thought  bad  come  to 
him :  "  I  say,  Bob,  you  are  the  very  man  we 
want  up  in  our  neighborhood.  I  believe  the 
Lord  brought  about  this  meeting  of  ours,  to-day, 
for  a  purpose.  It  gives  me  a  chance  to  get  your 
ear  before  you  get  crowded  with  other  work." 

"  Well,  what  are  you  driving  at  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Niles. 

"  Just  this,  we  want  a  man  to  run  a  Sunday- 
school  up  there  in  the  Clarkson  neighborhood. 
There  is  a  circuit  of — I  don't  know  how  many 
miles,  and  not  a  single  church-going  man  to  be 
found  there.  It  is  a  grand  opening  for  some  one 
who  wants  to  work  for  the  Lord." 

"  Humph !  why  don't  you  step  into  it  your- 
self? " 

"  For  several  reasons,"  returned   Mr.  Clark. 


Beginnings.  9 

"  The  principal  one  being  that  I  have  charge  of 
a  school  at  the  Hollow,  and  have  not  time  to  at- 
tend to  another  unless  I  give  up  going  to  church. 
Now  if  you  will  take  that  place  I  will  take  you 
out  as  we  go  from  the  Sunday-school  here,  and 
bring  you  back  to  the  evening  service.  What 
do  you  say,  Bob  ?  " 

"  I  say  that  I  couldn't  think  of  undertaking 
such  a  thing,"  returned  Bob  Niles,  with  a  sensa- 
tion that  was  as  near  shame  as  anything. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  have  not 
been  used  to  it  —  that  is,  to  work  of  this  sort?  " 
he  asked. 

"  I  do  mean  just  that,  Newton.  So  you  see  I 
could  not  do  it.  I  am  not  your  man,  after  all ; 
and  you  will  have  to  conclude  that  if  the  Lord 
had  anything  to  do  with  our  meeting  to-day  it 
was  for  some  other  purpose." 

"  No,"  said  Mr.  Clark,  "  I  shall  not  conclude 
that  just  yet.  Because- you  have  not  is  no  rea- 
son why  you  should  not,  and  I  will  not  take  your 
answer  now.  We  will  both  turn  the  matter 
over  prayerfully,  and  I'll  see  you  again." 

"  No  use ;  you  may  have  my  answer  now.     I'm 


10  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

sorry  to  refuse  you,  Newton.  Ask  me  anything 
in  my  line  and  I'll  be  ready  to  favor  you." 

And  so  after  a  little  more  pleasant  talk  the 
friends  parted.  Newton  Clark  went  on  his  way, 
thinking  sadly  of  that  blessed  winter  season,  five 
years  back,  when  Robert  Niles  and  himself,  with 
many  more,  had  dedicated  themselves  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  remembering  the 
zeal  of  the  young  convert  that  had  led  him  to 
make  the  proposition  from  which  his  friend  had 
turned  almost  scornfully.  But  he  said  to  him- 
self: "I  can  but  think  that  Bob  only  wants 
rousing  a  little.  He  is  a  noble  fellow,  and  I 
can't  help  believing  that  the  Lord  has  work  for 
him  to  do  up  there  among  the  Clarkson  people," 
and  he  went  home  to  pray  for  it. 

Meantime  Mr.  Niles  was  concluding  his  ar- 
rangements with  Smith  &  Ryle,  and  saying  to 
himself:  "  That's  just  like  Newt ;  he  is  just  the 
same  eager,  over-zealous  fellow  that  he  used  to 
be.  I  knew  he  would  turn  out  a  fanatic  some 
day.  Well,  his  religion  means  something.  I 
am  afraid  he  misunderstood  me.  I  hope  he 
didn't  go  off  thinking  that  I  am  not  with  him  in 
heart,  though  I  cannot  take  up  the  work  he 


Beginnings.  11 

thinks  I  ought."     Why  not  ?    This  was  the  ques- 
tion that  presented  itself  forcibly  to  his  mind, 
and   insisted   upon    being   considered.     Indeed, 
wliy  not  ?    There  was  no  answer  to  fit  the  ques- 
tion, and  he  was  much  disturbed  by  his  failure 
to  satisfy  himself.     Of  course  lie  would  not,  that 
much  was  settled.     He  would  do  something,  of 
course.     They  would  need   money  up  there  to 
start  a  school,  and  Robert  Niles  actually  thought 
to  settle  the  matter  with  his  conscience  by  giv- 
ing a  few  dollars  from  his  thousands.     Sabbath 
morning  came,  and  he  went  to  the  old  familiar 
church   on   Court  street.      There   had    been  a 
change  of  ministers  in  his  five  years'  absence ; 
he  missed  the  dear  old  man  who  had  long  been 
his  pastor ;  but  he  liked  the  face  and  manner  of 
the  stranger,  and  prepared  to  listen  to  the  ser- 
mon, hoping   to   enjoy   it.     But  when  in  clear, 
distinct  tones   the  pastor   announced   his   text, 
"  Go  work  to-day  in  my   vineyard,"  he  almost 
lost  his  self-possession,  so  surely  did  these  words 
seem   meant  for   him.     The  preacher  sought  to 
bring  the  truth  home  to  the  heart  of  every  dis- 
ciple of  Christ,  that  work  for   the  advancement 
of  his  cause  is  a  duty  and  a  blessed  privilege  : 


12  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

that  "we  are  called  into  God's  vineyard  not 
merely  to  eat  the  fruit  of  it,  nor  simply  to  bask 
in  its  pleasant  shade,  but  first  of  all  to  work  for 
our  Master ;  called  to  follow  Christ  first  on 
earth,  not  first  in  heaven,  not  first  in  glory  ; 
first  the  cross,  afterward  the  crown."  It  was 
urged  that  each  one  should  ask  for  himself, 
"  What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  "  and  when 
the  answer  should  come,  as  it  surely  would  if 
sought  in  sincerity,  that  there  be  no  shrinking 
—  no  shirking. 

Mrs.  Niles  was  an  invalid  —  not  one  of  the 
nervous  sort,  nor  one,  whose  aches  and  pains 
had  absorbed  her  thoughts  and  interests.  On 
the  contrary,  she  had  a  lively  interest  in  the 
world  outside,  and  her  children  brought  their 
bits  of  news,  their  own  pleasures,  and  also  their 
perplexities  and  trials,  to  "  mother's  room." 

"  Well,  Robert,"  she  said,  as  her  son  came  in 
from  church,  "how  do  you  like  our  pastor?  " 

He  hesitated. 

"  Well,  mother,  to  tell  the  truth  I  haven't 
thought  about  him.  I  have  been  fighting  a  bat- 
tle. You  know  about  Newt  Clark's  proposition  ? 
I  was  sure  that  I  would  not  do  it ;  but  to-day's 


Beginnings.  13 

sermon  made  it  clear  that  to  shirk  it  is  to  sin. 
I  saw  Clark  this  evening,  and  told  him  that  I 
would  ride  up  there  this  week  and  look  over  the 
ground." 

Mrs.  Niles  smiled,  and  said : 

"  Well,  Robert,  I  wish  you  God-speed.  And 
I  can  tell  you  that  taking  up  work  at  once  as 
you  are  beginning  }*our  business  life  here  will 
make  it  much  easier  than  if  you  had  waited  un- 
til business  cares  absorbed  your  thoughts.  Rob- 
ert your  father  would  have  been  glad." 

But  that  sermon  had  its  lesson  for  others  be- 
side Robert  Niles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norton  Graves 
lived  a  mile  or  two  out  of  town.  As  they  were 
driving  home  Mr.  Graves  said : 

"  Well,  Clara,  the  parson  brought  things  pretty 
close  home  to  your  folks  to-day,  didn't  he  ?  " 

Mr.  Graves  was  not  a  Christian,  and  he  was 
a  little  bitter  toward  Christians  in  general,  and 
toward  a  few  in  particular.  He  liked  to  hear 
what  he  called  home  thrusts  from  the  pulpit. 
For  his  part,  so  he  was  wont  to  express  himself, 
he  thought  that  church-members  needed  plain 
talk  as  well  as  sinners.  He  knew  some  that 
were  no  better  for  their  professions. 


14  Echoing  and  .Re-echoing. 

While  Mrs.  Graves  was  a  follower  of  Christ, 
it  must  be  confessed  that  hers  was  not  that  close 
following  which  brings  the  disciple  into  the  very 
presence  of  the  Master,  and  makes  the  life  ra- 
diant with  the  joy  and  peace  that  grows  out  of 
the  communion.  Especially  was  she  lacking  ia 
the  grace  of  meekness,  and  her  husband's  raillery 
generally  irritated  her.  She  would  say  : 

"  It  is  no  excuse  for  you,  Norton  Graves,  and 
you  know  it.  No  matter  how  I  live,  you've  got 
to  stand  by  yourself  at  last."  To-day  she  an- 
swered, softly  : 

"  Yes,  Norton,  he  did ;  so  close  that  I  feel  it, 
and  I  am  going  to  work.  And  I  don't  mean  to 
belong  to  the  '  I  go,  sir '  family  either.  I  am  in 
dead  earnest." 

"  When  are  you  going  to  begin  ?  "  asked  her 
husband,  good-humoredty.  "Am  I  your  first  sub- 
ject?" 

"I  ana  going  to  begin  just  where  Mr.  Reid  ad- 
vised ;  at  home,  in  my  own  soul.  I  am  going  to 
root  out  some  of  the  weeds  that  have  been 
choking  the  growth  of  the  good.  You  needn't 
tell  me  there  is  a  chance  for  hard  work  and 


Beginnings.  15 

plenty  of  it.  I  know  it ;  and,  Norton,  there  is 
BO  much  to  do  that  I  shall  need  your  help." 

She  said  this  as  he  helped  her  from  the  car- 
riage, and  as  he  drove  over  to  the  stables  he  said 
to  himself,  or  to  his  horse  : 

"  Whew  !  Who  would  have  thought  it  ?  Now 
I  suppose  I  shall  have  a  pious  wife  in  earnest. 
Heretofore  her  religion  has  not  caused  a  very 
marked  difference  in  our  ways  of  thinking  and 
doing,  but  if  she  gets  up  an  enthusiasm  over  it, 
it  might  be  inconvenient.  I  guess,  upon  the 
whole,  I'll  keep  quiet  and  not  arouse  any 
stronger  feeling  by  ridiculing  her." 

Meanwhile,  in  her  own  room,  upon  her  knees, 
Mrs.  Graves  was  confessing  her  unfaithfulness 
to  her  covenant  vows,  and  asking  direction  as  to 
the  way  in  which  the  Lord  would  have  her 
work.  Could  her  husband  have  heard  that 
prayer  he  must  have  felt  that  there  was  a  differ- 
ence ;  that  though  she  had  been  influenced  and 
led  by  him  so  that  she  had  for  the  time  lost  her 
hold  upon  Christ,  yet  having  been  adopted  into 
the  family  of  the  Father,  there  was  a  difference 
which,  unless  he  would  consent  to  receive  the 
renewing  grace,  would  separate  them  forever. 


16  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

When  they  met  at  the  dinner  table  they  did  not 
renew  the  subject,  he  acting  upon  his  resolution, 
and  she  from  dread  of  his  sarcastic  remarks. 
But  toward  evening  he  said  : 

"  Clara,  would  you  like  to  go  down  town  to 
church  this  evening  ?  " 

"  Why,  can  we  go  ?  "  she  replied,  surprised,  for 
they,  never  went  to  church,  evenings. 

"  Certainly  we  can.  I  suppose  we  might  go 
every  Sunday  evening  if  we  tried,"  he  said  smil- 
ing. If  you  are  going  to  undertake  that  job  you 
spoke  of  you'll  need  all  the  help  you  can  get," 
he  added  with  a  wicked  sort  of  laugh. 

".Z)0w'£,  Norton,"  she  said;  then,  hesitating, 
"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  should  like  better  than 
going  out  Sabbath  evenings.  If  I  only  could  go 
down  to  the  Thursday  evening  prayer-meet  ing  I 
It  would  be  such  a  help,"  and  there  were  tears 
in  her  eyes. 

"  Why,  Clara,  I  never  objected  to  your  going 
to  prayer-meeting." 

"  No,  but  I  want  you  to  go  too,"  she  said, 
timidly. 

"  Oh  !  I  thought  I'd  be  your  next  subject,  but 
I  didn't  expect  you  would  get  to  me  quite  so 


Beginnings.  17 

soon  ;  got  that  work  in  your  own  heart  all  done 
already  ?  " 

"Please,  Norton,  I  want  to  tell  you  that  as 
our  lives  are  so  linked  together  that  —  well,  some 
women  might  —  but  for  me,  I  can  not  grow 
toward  heaven  unless  the  good  seed  is  springing 
up  in  your  heart  also." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  brought  around  the 
carriage  and  they  went  to  church,  to  the  surprise 
of  several  people  ;  among  them  was  Mr.  John 
Graves,  or  Professor  Graves,  as  he  was  desig- 
nated. He  knew  the  ways  of  his  brother's  fam- 
ily so  well  that  he  wondered  what  unusual  cir- 
cumstance had  brought  them  out  in  the  evening, 
and  he  said  to  his  sister-in-law  as  they  came  out 
of  church : 

"  What  in  the  world  brought  you  from  your 
retirement  on  a  Sabbath  evening  ?  " 

With  a  little  surprised  air  she  replied : 

"  Why,  didn't  you  hear  the  sermon  this  morn- 
ing?"  ' 

"  Yes,  I  heard  it,  but  I  don't  see  the  connec- 
tion exactly." 

"Don't  you?  Well,  what  is  more  natural 
than  being  persuaded  that  we  ought  to  work, 


18  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

that  \ve  should  come  to  find  out  what  to  do,  and 
howto  do  it  ?  "  said  Mrs.Graves,  not  so  lightly,  but 
the  brother-in-law  detected  the  undertone  of 
seriousness,  and  he  replied,  gravely  : 

"  That  is  a  good  idea,  Clara ;  I  hope  you'll 
make  Norton  think  so.  Good-night." 

Professor  Graves  was  the  principal  of  the 
high-school.  He  was  a  Christian  man  ;  he 
opened  school  with  devotional  exercises  ;  he  was 
particular  about  the  deportment  of  his  pupils, 
looking  after  their  moral  interests.  His  pupils 
liked  him  ;  he  was  social  and  mingled  much 
with  them  in  a  free  and  easy  way,  but  he  had 
never  led  one  of  them  to  Christ.  That  sermon 
had  set  him  to  thinking,  and  going  home  that 
evening,  after  the  bit  of  a  talk  with  his  brother's 
wife,  he  said  to  himself  (he  had  no  wife  to  talk 
to): 

"Well,  1  ought,  I  will." 

The  next  morning  he  read  the  chapter  as 
usual,  but  there  was  a  depth  of  feeling  showing 
itself  in  his  voice,  and  he  prayed,  using  accus- 
tomed and  familiar  words.  Yet  how  differently 
they  sounded ;  even  the  scholars  noticed  it.  And 
when  he  said,  "There  will  be  a  meeting  for 


Beginnings.  19 

praise  and  prayer  in  this  room  this  evening ;  I 
hope  to  see  many  of  you  here ;  I  wish  I  could 
meet  you  all  here,"  a  thrill  of  surprise  ran 
through  the  room.  The  surprise  was  not  more 
at  the  announcement  than  at  the  earnestness  of 
his  invitation  ;  and  there  were  many  who  re- 
solved to  attend  the  meeting,  "  just  because  the 
Professor  seemed  so  earnest  about  it."  The 
truth  was,  Mr.  John  Graves  felt  that  he  had 
been  an  idler  too  long,  and  now  he  was  going  to 
make  up  in  zeal  what  he  had  lost  by  delay. 

The  minister  and  his  wife  had  their  bit  of 
talk  about  the  sermon.  He  lay  back  on  the 
lounge  weary  and  half  discouraged ;  she  hover- 
ing about  was  cheerful  and  hopeful. 

"  Why,  Ralph,"  she  said,  "  your  people  were 
very  attentive  to-day ;  really  interested  I  thought, 
and  I  never  heard  you  preach  with  more  power." 

"  Yes,  they  were  attentive ;  I  seldom  have 
anything  to  complain  of  in  that  direction.  Peo- 
ple listen,  criticise,  perhaps  even  approve  the 
truth,  then  go  away  and  forget  all  about  the 
meaning  it  has  for  them.  They  seem  uncon- 
scious of  the  fact  that  it  has  any  reference  to 
their  lives.  Yes,  they  were  attentive,  but  how 


20  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

many  hearts  were  reached  ?  How  many  lives 
will  be  effected  by  the  truths  presented  to- 
night ?  That  is  the  question." 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  a  question  for  you  to 
ask,"  she  said,  smiling.  "  Don't  you  see,"  she 
continued,  "it  is  your  business  to  deliver  your 
message  faithfully,  and  —  reverently  I  say  it,  is 
it  not  the  business  of  the  Lord,  your  Leader,  to 
see  to  the  hearts,  to  prepare  them,  by  the  work- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  for  the  truth  ?  It  seems  to  me 
that  if  we  are  Christ's  servants,  doing  his  work, 
that  we  have  no  need  to  worry  over  the  much  or 
the  little  that  we  seem  to  accomplish." 

"I  suppose  you  are  right,"  replied  the  hus- 
band. 

"  I  think  I  am,  for  I  remember  you  said  some- 
thing like  that  in  one  of  your  sermons  a  week  or 
two  ago,"  she  answered,  laughing.  "  You  told 
us  that  God  would  see  to  results,  and  I  took 
courage  and  decided  not  to  give  up  quite  yet. 
You  told  us  not  to  be  discouraged  by  a  want  of 
appreciation  or  a  lack  of  visible  success,  and 
urged  us  to  stand  fast." 

The  minister  laughed  now. 

"  And  all  that  did  you  so  much  good  that  you 


Beginnings.  21 

are  throwing  it  back  at  me.     Well,  I  do  believe 
it  all  in  my  heart,  but  this  poor  human  nature 
gets  the  upper  hand  sometimes,  and  when  it  does 
I  am  thrown  off  my  balance.     It  is  well  that   I 
have  somebody  to  help  right  np." 
After  a  little  silence  he  spoke  again : 
"  Grace,  I  feel  that  hitherto  I  have  not  been 
using  all  my   powers  in   the  service  of  Christ ; 
hereafter  /mean  to  do  better  work  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard." 


CHAPTER   II. 

ECHOES  FEOM  THE  PAST. 
"  What  shall  we  do  that  we  might  work  the  works  of  God." 


OU  remember  Ralph  Ried  ?  He  is  Abbie's 
brother,  and  cousin  of  Ester.  Ah  !  now 
you  remember !  I  thought  you  would  if  I  spoke 
of  Ester.  Since  he  went  to  Europe  you  have 
lost  sight  of  him,  though  you  often  wonder  how 
his  character  has  developed,  and  if  he  grew  to  be 
the  sort  of  man  he  promised  and  you  hoped. 
Well,  here  he  is,  pastor  of  the  Court  Street 
Church.  You  are  watching  now  to  see  what 
stand  he  will  take  upon  those  questions  that  vex 
the  souls  of  men  who  tremble  before  the  threat- 

22 


Echoes  from  the  Past.  23 

ened  displeasure  and  opposition  of  what  may  be 
the  stronger,  if  not  the  truer  side.  "When  you 
knew  him  he  was  not  a  Christian,  and  }rou  ask 
how  it  all  has  come  about.  The  story  of  his  con- 
version would  make  a  chapter  by  itself.  The 
little  card  which  Ester  took  from  the  hanging 
case  in  a  fancy  store  as  they  were  shopping  one 
day,  and  whose  solemn  message  came  with  force 
to  Ester's  heart,  was  picked  up  long  after  in  a 
deserted  room  of  the  Ried  mansion,  and  with  the 
words,  "  I  solemnly  agree  as  God  shall  help  me." 
A  flash  of  memory  brought  back  to  Ralph  the 
sorrowful  scenes  of  those  days  of  bereavement 
which  followed  so  closely  upon  that  morning's 
shopping.  The  card  was  dingy  and  the  words 
half  defaced  ;  but  prompted  by  the  spirit  within 
that  was  reviving  old  associations,  he  studied 
out  the  sentences :  —  "To  try  to  save  at  least 
one  soul  each  year." 

"  Dear  me,"  he  thought,  "  that  was  half  a  dozen 
years  ago.  If  I  had  adopted  these  resolutions 
then  —  Well,  what  if  I  had,  whose  soul  might 
I  have  saved  ?  Perhaps  poor  Tom  Carter  might 
have  been  saved.  That  would  have  been  some- 
thing worth  while,  wouldn't  it,  now  ?  " 


24  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"And  yourself?" 

Ralph  Ried  never  got  away  from  the  thoughts 
that  were  awakened  by  the  words  of  the  old 
worn  card,  until  they  drew  him  to  a  decision 
that  changed  not  so  much  his  outer  life  as  the 
motives  and  purposes  of  his  living. 

About  that  time  he  wrote  to  his  sister: 

"  And  now  comes  the  question,  how  can  I  best 
serve  the  Lord  ?  Time  and  money,  and  life  it- 
self, are  his.  How  shall  I  best  employ  all  for 
his  honor  ?  .  .  .  Next  week  I  expect  to  go  with 
Mr.  Holmes  to  Chester  to  conduct  a  meeting. 
We  go  as  a  delegation  from  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  You 
are  saying, l  That  is  new  work  for  Ralph.'  Well, 
it  is ;  yet  it  seems  as  though  I  had  been  doing 
it  for  years,  I  am  so  happy  in  it.  So  glad,  so 
sure  am  I  that  the  Lord  is  leading  me,  that  I 
have  settled  into  a  calm  content,  rea<ly  to  fol- 
low whithersoever  the  path  tendeth.  Sure  am 
I  that  though  it  be  by  a  way  that  I  know  not,  it 
will  be  the  right  way.  I  do  not  yet  feel  certain 
that  I  ought  to  enter  upon  a  course  of  theologi- 
cal study,  but  it  may  be  that  this  is  the  way." 

Step  by  step  the  Lord  was  leading  him  on  in 
the  way  of  preparation  for  the  work  of  preaching 


Echoes  from  the  Past.  25 

the  gospel.  It  was  wonderful  how  the  proud, 
self-reliant  young  man  submitted  to  be  led.  He 
who  had  been  accustomed  to  plan  and  execute 
both  for  himself  and  others,  gave  himself  up 
with  a  glad  submission  to  the  leadership  of  One 
higher  than  himself.  And  yet  he  grew  in 
strength  and  power,  and  those  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  trust  him  and  lean  upon  him, 
trusted  him  more  implicitly  and  leaned  more 
securely  upon  his  strong  arm. 

The  first  years  of  his  ministry  had  gone  by, 
but  he  had  lost  none  of  his  ardor.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  grew  more  eager — "  more  and  better 
work "  was  his  own  motto,  and  the  one  he  was 
trying  to  get  others  to  adopt. 

Going  home  from  church  one  evening,  Mrs. 
Coville  said,  in  a  fretful  tone : 

"  I'm  sick  of  hearing  Mr.  Hied  talk  about 
'  working  Chilians.'  I  guess  if  he  had  as  many 
to  cook  and  wash  and  mend  for  as  I  have  he 
would  be  glad  to  fall  back  on  the  text  that  says 
we  are  saved  by  faith.  I  am  sure  I  haven't  any 
time  for  Christian  work,  as  he  says.  I'd  look 
pretty  leaving  my  family  while  I  went  about 
with  tracts." 


26  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  But,  Mrs.  Coville,"  said  her  neighbor,  who 
was  walking  with  her,  "  3Tou  know  there  has  al- 
ways been  a  holding  back  upon  the  part  of  the 
people  here.  There  are  some,  like  yourself,  who 
have  very  little  time  for  work  outside  their  own 
homes,  but  there  are  others — " 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Coville. 
"  There's  the  Elmer  girls  —  there's  no  reason 
under  the  sun  why  they  shouldn't  take  hold ; 
but  they  won't,  and  Mr.  Hied  may  preach  about 
it  until  he  is  gray,  and  he'll  never  get  Rachel 
Elmer  -waked  up." 

"  He  won't  if  she  doesn't  go  to  church  to  hear 
the  preaching,"  laughed  Mrs.  Bates. 

"It's  a  pity  she  shouldn't.  She  might  take 
hold  of  things.  She  just  keeps  at  that  everlast- 
ing embroidery.  I  know  what  I'll  do.  I'll  have 
her  out  next  Sunday,  see  if  I  don't,"  said  Mrs. 
Coville,  emphatically. 

Mrs.  Bates  smiled.  It  would  not  do  to  tell  Mrs. 
Coville  that  she  was  about  to  join  the  working 
forces  of  the  church  in  spite  of  her  protests,  and 
if  any  one  could  coax  Rachel  Elmer  out  of  her 
shell  it  would  seem  to  cover  half  a  dozen  ordi- 
nary efforts.  The  "  Elmer  girls  "  lived  alone  in 


Echoes  from  the  Past  27 

a  queer  old  house,  of  the  sort  that  attract  atten- 
tion in  these  da}'s  when  to  be  popular  is  to  be 
an  hundred  years  old.  There  were  only  these 
two  left.  All  the  rest  had  looked  their  lust  upon 
the  quaint  old  house,  and  for  years  the  two  sis- 
ters had  lived  on  together  quietly,  but  not  hap- 


"  I  hate  it,  I  do.  This  horrid  stillness  and 
sameness  will  kill  me,"  Lydia  would  exclaim  as 
they  sat  together  in  the  long  afternoons. 

"  Oh  no  ;  not  so  bad  as  that,  I  hope,"  Miss 
Rachel  would  reply,  looking  up  from  her  em- 
broidery and  smiling  placidly. 

"  I  honestly  believe  it  will,"  Lydia  would  say, 
"  or  else  I  shall  lose  my  senses.  I  cannot  endure 
it." 

"I  don't  see  what  you  mean  at  all,"  returned 
the  elder  sister.  "  I  am  sure  it  is  very  pleasant 
here.  We  have  everything  we  need.  If  you 
want  new  furniture  you  might  get  it  I  suppose. 
I  am  satisfied  with  the  old,  but  the  parlors  might 
be  refurnished,"  and  Miss  Rachel  sighed  at  the 
thought  of  giving  up  the  quaint  old  chairs  and 
heavy  mahogany  sideboards. 


28  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Ob,  Rachel !  It  isn't  that  at  all.  I  like  the 
old  things,  but  —  " 

"  What  then  ?  I  am  sure  it  is  very  comfort- 
able and  quiet  —  " 

"  Quiet !  I  should  think  it  was  !  It  is  just 
the  quiet  that  distracts  me.  I'd  rather  live  in  a 
cotton  factory  or  an  orphan-asylum  than  endure 
this  horrible  stillness  another  day." 

"  Oh,  Lydia,  don't  talk  so  wildly.  If  you  would 
only  try  to  interest  yourself  in  something.  See, 
this  is  almost  done,"  holding  up  her  work. 
"  Isn't  it  beautiful?  It  is  four  months  since  I 
began  it,  but  there  is  a  great  amount  of  work 
on  it." 

"  I  should  think  so  !  And  what  is  it  good 
for  ?  "  returned  the  other  sister,  contemptuously. 
"  I  can  tell  you,  Rachel,  that  I  have  more  than 
once  been  tempted  to  seize  that  rag  and  throw 
it  into  the  fire.  Parlor  furniture !  What  do 
we  want  of  a  parlor,  anyway  ?  We  never  have 
any  company.  Even  the  minister  shuns  us,  and 
no  wonder.  Such  unsocial  bodies  as  we  are  ! 
I  know  one  thing  I  will  do.  I'll  get  a  croquet 
set  the  next  time  I'll  go  to  town." 


Echoes  from  the  Past.  29 

"A  croquet  set  I  Why,  Lydia»Elmer,  are  you 
crazy  ?  " 

"Maybe.  I  told  you  I  should  be,"  said  Lydia, 
laughing  now.  "  You  wanted  me  to  be  interest- 
ed in  something.  I  leaned  over  the  fence  at 
Mr.  Coville's  last  night  and  watched  the  game, 
and  I  think  it  is  really  a  nice  thing ;  and  I  am 
going  to  get  a  set." 

"  What  an  absurd  thing !  Do  you  know, 
Lydia  Elmer,  how  old  you  are  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Lydia,  demurely. 
"  Twenty-six  next  10th  day  of  October." 

"  And  to  talk  of  buying  a  game,  as  if  you  were 
a  child  to  be  amused  !  " 

The  conversation  ended,  as  usual,  by  Lydia's 
busying  herself  in  a  book,  while  Rachel  put  the 
last  stitches  in  the  ivy  pattern  she  was  working 
as  a  border  for  her  screen.  Presently  there  was 
a  light  tap  at  the  side  door,  and  Mrs.  Coville, 
their  nearest  neighbor,  entered. 

"  No ;  I  won't  let  you  put  away  my  things. 
I'll  just  drop  my  sun-bonnet  down  here.  I  ran 
over  to  invite  you  to  go  with  me  to  Mr.  Patter- 
son's, to  the  sewing  society.  Husband  says  I 
can  have  old  Billy  to  drive  if  I  can  get  any  one  to 


30  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

go  with  me,  and  I  thought  of  you  right  away. 
Mrs.  Patterson  is  such  a  nice  woman  ;  I  know 
you  would  enjoy  going  there,  both  of  you." 

Mrs.  Coville  had  changed  her  plan  of  attack 
and  decided  upon  the  sewing  society  as  a  pre- 
liminary skirmish.  Miss  Rachel  looked  her  sur- 
prise. 

"Thank  you,"  she  said,  "but  I  don't  think 
we  can  go." 

"  Speak  for  3'ourself,  Rachel,"  interposed  Ly- 
dia.  "  I  mean  to  accept  Mrs.  Coville's  invitation. 
For  my  part,  I've  just  got  to  get  out  of  this  dull 
place  if  only  for  one  afternoon." 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  will  enjoy  the  ride,  if  you 
will  only  consent  to  go,"  said  Mrs.  Coville,  ad- 
dressing the  elder  sister.  "  I  don't  go  very  often 
myself,  but  I  have  taken  a  notion  to  go  this 
time  and  have  you  go  with  me." 

I  think  Miss  Rachel  Elmer  was  surprised  out 
of  herself,  and  if,  when  she  returned  to  her 
senses,  she  was  soriy  for  having  given  her  prom- 
ise to  go  to  the  sewing  society,  she  was  too  tena- 
cious of  her  word  to  withdraw.  And  Mrs.  Co- 
ville departed,  wondering  at  her  easy  victor}^. 

"  Now  if  they'll  only  put  her  in  as  directress 


Echoes  from  the  Past. 


31 


or  something,"  she  said,  as  she  hurried  home, 
fearing  that  her  biscuits  were  burning,  "  I'll  have 
her  out  to  prayer-meeting  yet." 

And  3^et  Mrs.  Coville   was   sick  and  tired  of 
Mr.  Ried's  talk  about  Christian  work  I 


CHAPTER    IK. 

A  SUCCESSFUL  EXPERIMENT. 
"YE  SHALL  BE  WITNESSES  UNTO  ME." 


ROFESSOR  Graves  shut  and  bolted  the 
door,  and  then  he  sat  down  to  think. 
Just  what  he  was  to  do  was  a  puzzle  to  him. 
Of  course  he  must  make  some  sort  of  prepara- 
tion for  performing  his  part  as  the  leader  of 
the  meeting  he  had  appointed.  He  was  not 
used  to  anything  of  that  sort.  To  be  sure,  he 
was  quite  regular  at  the  weekly  prayer-meeting, 
and  was  generally  ready  to  follow  the  leader 
with  "some  remarks"  when  the  meeting  was 
announced  as  "open,"  or  to  lead  in  prayer 
32 


A  Successful  Experiment.  33 

whenever  called  upon ;  but  he  very  reasonably 
concluded  that  lie  had  undertaken  something 
very  different  from  this.  A  boys'  and  girls' 
meeting  to  be  a  success  needs  a  skillful  con- 
ductor, he  thought ;  and  as  the  hour  drew  near 
he  more  and  more  doubted  his  ability.  He  even 
contemplated  asking  Mr.  Ried  to  come  in  and 
take  charge  of  the  meeting ;  then  he  remem- 
bered that  his  work  could  not  be  done  by  his 
pastor.  One  would  not  have  supposed  it  possi- 
ble that  the  dignified  and  self-contained  professor 
could  have  been  so  perturbed. 

"  I  suppose  they'll  all  be  dumb  as  posts,"  he 
said  to  himself ;  "  that  is,  if  any  of  them  come. 
I  ought  to  have  appointed  the  meeting  in  the 
small  room.  Half  a  dozen  or  so  will  feel  forlorn 
in  that  great  chapel.  I  expect  it  will  be  like  the 
meeting  Uncle  Jotham  led  once.  The  minister 
was  absent,  and  there  was  only  Uncle  Jotham 
and  six  or  eight  women.  In  that  place  it  was 
not  allowed  women  to  speak  or  pray  in  public. 
So  Uncle  Jotham  gave  out  a  hymn,  thanking 
God  that  the  sisters  might  sing  ;  then  he  prayed, 
hoping  that  some  brethren  would  come  in  soon  ; 
then  they  sang;  afterward  he  read  a  chapter, 


34  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

and  made  some  remarks ;  still  no  brother  came 
to  his  aid  ;  they  sang  again  ;  still  no  help.  Final- 
ly, Uncle  Jotham,  grown  desperate,  said,  'We'll 
close  with  the  Doxology,'  and  they  closed.  '  That 
was  a  meeting  for  "  prayer  and  conference " 
said  Uncle  Jo  in  telling  of  it.  "I  suppose,"  con- 
tinued the  professor,  talking  to  the  stove-pipe, 
"that  there  is  a  way  to  draw  out  the  young 
people  ;  but  how  to  do  it,  that  is  the  question." 

The  professor  was  growing  very  anxious  for 
the  success  of  his  experiment,  not  because  it  was 
of  his  originating,  but  because  he  had  suddenly 
grown  anxious  for  the  spiritual  good  of  his  pupils 
and  the  progress  of  Christ's  kingdom.  It  was 
wonderful  how  important  things  seemed  to  him 
now,  which  two  d&ys  ago  he  scarcely  thought  of. 
He  tried  to  select  a  passage  of  Scripture  to 
read,  tried  to  frame  a  suitable  opening,  but  his 
thoughts  got  into  a  whirl,  and  he  wondered  if 
he  could  be  growing  nervous.  At  last,  with  an 
earnest  prayer  for  help,  he  went  down  to  the 
school-house.  Meeting  one  of  the  boys  at  the 
gate,  he  said  : 

"  Harry,  I  think  we  will  do  better  to  have  our 
meeting  in  the  little  room." 


A  Successful  Experiment.  35 

"  Think  so,  sir  ?  "  said  Harry. 

"  Why,  yes  ;  we  shall  feel  more  sociable  than 
with  a  few  of  us  in  that  great  room.  Don't  you 
think  so  ?  " 

"  Maybe ;  but  if  there  should  be  a  good 
many  ?  " 

"  Oh,  well,  it  isn't  likely  there'll  be  many.  I'll 
go  and  start  a  fire  in  the  little  room." 

The  fire  didn't  burn  very  well ;  the  professor 
had  to  go  to  the  wood-room  and  get  more  kin- 
dling. Then  the  lamps  were  out  of  order  and 
had  to  be  trimmed  ;  and  while  busy  at  this  uncon- 
genial work  Mr.  Graves  heard  the  constant  tread 
of  feet  through  the  hall  and  up  and  down  stairs  ?  " 

"  I  think,  sir,"  returned  Harry,  "  that  you  will 
find  that  it  is  all  going  up" 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  only  that  I  haven't  heard  any  one 
come  down  ;  but  a  good  many  have  gone  up," 
said  Harry. 

"Let's  go  and   see,"  said   Professor   Graves. 

One  moment  he  paused  in  the  doorway  of  the 
chapel ;  then  crossing  to  the  desk,  he  bent  his 
head  in  silent  thanksgiving.  He  scarcely  hoped 


-»6  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

*o  meet  a  dozen,  and  here  were  forty  of  his 
pupils  ! 

An  hour  earlier  Helen  Betson  was  in  her 
room ;  the  door  was  not  bolted  or  even  closed, 
but  stood  wide  open,  and  voices  came  up  from 
the  dining-room  below.  Her  father  was  saying : 

"  Where  does  Helen  want  to  go  to-night  ?  " 

"  To  prayer-meeting  at  the  school-chapel,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Betson. 

"  That  is  a  new  thing,  isn't  it  ?  "  asked  the  gen- 
tleman. 

"  Which  —  the  prayer-meeting,  or  Helen's 
wanting  to  go  to  one  ?  " 

It  was  her  brother  Tom's  voice  now,  and 
Helen  shivered.  Was  Tom  going  to  make  the 
thing  ridiculous,  and  so  keep  her  from  going  ? 
Because,  if  Tom  laughed,  that  would  spoil  it  for 
Helen.  That  was  the  way  so  many  things  were 
spoiled.  She  waited  for  her  father's  reply. 

"  Well,  both,"  he  answered,  laughing  a  little. 
"I  never  heard  of  a  prayer-meeting  at  the  school- 
chapel,  and  Helen  hasn't  been  in  the  habit  of 
going  to  such  places  of  late,  eh  ?  " 

Helen's  cheeks  flushed.  She  recalled  a  win- 
ter, three  years  ago,  when  for  a  time  she  had 


A  Successful  Experiment.  87 

grown  to  be  interested  in  prayer-meetings,  and 
when,  as  she  thought,  she  had  given  her  heart  to 
Christ.  It  was  her  cousin  Dick  who  led  her  to 
this  point,  and  who  was  always  her  escort  so 
long  as  he  remained  in  the  family.  Then  he 
went  home,  and  there  was  no  one  to  go  with 
her,  and  now  it  was  a  long,  long  time  since 
she  had  been  to  a  prayer-meeting.  She  had  not 
been  walking  in  the  light,  yet  she  clung  to  her 
hope  through  Christ.  Now  and  then  a  fling  from 
Tom's  sarcastic  tongue  would  cause  her  color  to 
rise.  Tom  said,  in  the  height  of  her  interest, 
that  it  would  not  last,  and  afterward  he  delighted 
to  say,  "  I  told  you  so."  At  tea-time  Helen  had 
asked  her  mother's  permission  to  go  out  that 
evening,  and,  in  reply  to  her  question,  had  ex- 
plained about  the  meeting,  also  stating  that 
Flora  Niles  was  going  also,  and  that  her 
brother  would  call  for  them  and  bring  them 
home.  Her  mother's  consent  gained,  she  went 
up  to  her  room  to  get  ready.  Presently  Tom 
left  the  dining-room  whistling.  She  heard  him 
cross  the  hall  to  the  hat-rack,  but  the  opening  of 
the  outer  door  she  did  not  hear,  though  she  was 


38  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

listening.     Some   way   she  felt  that  she  should 
breathe  easier  after  he  was  gone. 

"  Helen,"  he  called  from  below. 

"Well,  Tom,  what  is  it?"  Her  voice  was 
steady,  but  her  heart  was  throbbing  with  excite- 
ment. 

"  Say,  wouldn't  your  own  brother  do  as  well 
as  Flora  Niles'  brother?" 

"  Why,  yes,  a  great  deal  better,  only  —  " 

"  Only  you  thought  I  wouldn't  go.  But  I 
have  a  mind  to  go  to  that  meeting  myself." 

Helen  came  out  of  her  room  and  leaned  over 
the  railing. 

"  That  will  be  splendid,"  she  said  ;  "  and  say, 
Tom,  don't  you  suppose  you  could  coax  Willard 
to  go,  because  Clara  says  her  father  will  not  al- 
low her  to  go  out  without  Willard,  and  she  wants 
to  go  so  badly  ?  " 

Tom  laughed. 

"  I'd  look  pretty  going  about  trying  to  get 
folks  out  to  prayer-meeting  !  Well,  I'll  see." 

Helen  was  pretty  sure  that  he  would  not  only 
see,  but  do. 

As  Professor  Graves  looked  over  the  little 
gathering  he  thought  of  all  his  pupils.  Tom 


A  Successful  Experiment.  39 

Betson  and  Willard  Hunting  were  the  last  ones 
he  expected  to  see.  But  there  they  were,  and 
many  others  whose  presence  astonished  him. 

True,  many  of  them  came  just  to  please  the 
Professor,  or  to  see  what  it  was  all  about,  or  be- 
cause somebody  else  came ;  and  Professor  Graves 
understood  this,  and  longed  for  power  to  interest 
and  hold  them,  and  felt  that  no  time  should  be 
lost. 

"  Some  of  us,"  he  said,  "  love  the  Saviour. 
Let  us  speak  freely  and  tell  these  others  who 
do  not  know  this  love  what  a  blessed  thing  it  is 

to  belong  to  Christ And  now  I 

want  to  express  my  regret  for  the  past;  my 
Christian  friends,  may  I  not  say  our  regret  ?  If 
some  of  these  who  do  not  know  this  blessedness 
should  be  led  to  receive  Christ,  the  first  thing 
they  will  ask  will  be,  Why  didn't  you  tell  us 
before  ?  Why  did  you  let  us  go  on  so  long  in 
that  dangerous  path  ?  For  my  own  part  I  have 
no  answer  but  this  :  I  have  been  so  absorbed  ill 
endeavoring  to  advance  you  intellectually  that  I 
have  let  the  spiritual  slip  too  much  out  of  mind. 
God  grant  that  my  awakening  to  a  sense  of  my 
neglect  may  not  be  too  late." 


40  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

It  was  a  solemn  meeting,  very  different  from 
what  any  of  them  had  anticipated.  Even  Helen 
Betson  found  voice  to  say  : 

"  I  love  the  Saviour.  I  am  sure  I  do.  I  wish 
you  would  all  come  to  him." 

Her  friend  Flora  said : 

"  I  have  been  looking  about  since  yesterday 
for  some  work  to  do  for  Christ.  Perhaps  he 
will  give  me  something  to  do  through  this  meet- 
ing. I  think  it  would  be  pleasant  to  work  for 
the  Saviour." 

The  Professor  said : 

"  I  think  if  our  pastor  could  know  how  many 
hearts  were  reached  by  that  sermon  of  yesterday 
morning  he  would  feel  that  his  work  was  not  in 
vain." 

Going  home  Tom  said : 

"  I  say,  Helen,  wasn't  it  awful  hard  work  to 
say  that  to-night  ?  " 

"  Why,  no ;  that  is,  it  wouldn't  have  been  if 
you  had  been  awa}r,"  she  said,  between  laughing 
and  crying. 

"  Whew  !  I  guess  I'll  look  out  how  I  offer  to 
be  your  escort  next  time,"  returned  Tom,  pleas- 
antly. 


A  Successful  Experiment.  41 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that  —  I  —  Tom,  you  know 
you  make  such  sarcastic  speeches  sometimes,  but 
I  shall  not  be  afraid  of  you  any  more.  It  seems 
as  if  I  had  lived  ten  years  since  tea-time." 

"I  don't  see  any  wrinkles,"  said  Tom,  looking 
into  her  face. 

"  It  is  fret  and  worry  that  make  wrinkles,  I've 
heard  mother  say,  and  that  isn't  the  kind  of  living 
I  mean,"  said  Helen ;  then,  speaking  earnestly, 
"  Tom,  I  wish  you  would  step  over  to  the  other 
side.  I  want  you.  It  is  so  hard  to  be  alone," 
and  Helen's  voice  failed. 

"  Why,  little  sister,  I  believe  you've  really  got 
the  missionary  spirit  upon  you.  I  can't  quite 
see  the  way  clear  to  what  you  ask,  but  you  need 
never  be  afraid  of  me.  I  will  own  to  you  that 
I  honor  your  religion  more  to-night  than  ever 
before,  and  Professor  Graves  has  risen  in  the 
esteem  of  us  boys  by  what  he  said  to-night.  I 
have  often  made  fun  of  your  notion,  but  I  will 
say  that  the  love  that  can  stand  three  years  in 
the  atmosphere  of  our  home  must  be  genuine,  if 
there's  enough  left  to  speak  of  as  you  did  to-night." 

Was  Helen  sorry  that  she  had  witnessed  for 
Christ? 


CHAPTER    IV. 

MISS  ELMER'S  SACRIFICE. 
"HEBEIN  is  MY  FATHEB  GLORIFIED." 


Eied's  sermon  from  the  text,  "  Go 
work  to-day  in  my  vineyard,"  had 
echoed  and  re-echoed  throughout  the  congrega- 
tion, and  man}*,  as  we  have  noted,  had  been 
stirred  to  life  and  activity.  But  activity  needs 
to  be  directed,  and  to  give  this  directness  was 
the  aim  of  the  pastor  from  week  to  week ;  and 
those  who  had  been  incited  to  greater  earnest- 
ness came  now  regularly  to  the  Thursday  even- 
ing meeting  to  gather  up  hints  as  to  their  ways 
of  working,  and  real  practical  talks  they  heard. 
42 


Miss  Elmer's  Sacrifice.  43 

Robert  Niles,  whose  eloquent  orations  had  been 
something  remarkable  in  college  times,  and  who 
was  now  a  young  man  with  fine  literary  tastes, 
listened  eagerly  to  the  simple,  straightforward 
talks,  that  had  in  them  no  effort  at  oratorical 
effect  or  literary  finish ;  yet  it  may  be  that  they 
were  eloquent  and  finished,  for  Ralph  Ried  could 
not  easily  be  anything  else. 

They  were  all  there  —  young  Niles,  Helen 
Betson  and  Professor  Graves,  as  well  as  Mrs. 
Coville,  who  had  succeeded  in  her  plan  of  getting 
Rachel  Elmer  out  to  prayer-meeting.  The 
means  she  employed  to  bring  about  this  result 
were  best  known  to  herself.  It  was  a  strange 
thing,  for  when  had  Rachel  ever  been  seen  at 
prayer-meeting  ?  Indeed,  she  was  very  seldom 
at  church  upon  the  Sabbath.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church,  and  had  been  since  her  early 
girlhood.  For  years  after  she  had  grown  to 
womanhood  the  care  of  an  invalid  mother  had 
shut  her  off  from  general  societ}7,  and  to  a  great 
extent  from  church  privileges;  then  her  own 
ill-health  kept  her  much  at  home  until  the  habit 
became  fixed,  and  she  lived  a  lonely,  unsocial 
life.  Her  sister  Lydia  was  at  once  her  pet  and 


44  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

her  plague.  Not  that  she  petted  her ;  on  the  con- 
trary, she  fretted  and  scolded  the  younger  sister, 
to  whom  their  quiet  life  was  a  torment.  But, 
notwithstanding  the  recluse  life  she  led,  here 
she  was  sitting  quietly  beside  Mrs.  Coville,  lis- 
tening to  words  which  she  was  certain  were 
meant  for  her ;  not  that  she  fancied  the  pastor 
knew  anything  about  her  particular  shortcom- 
ings, or  had  any  thought  of  her  anyway,  but  she 
herself  knew  that  she  was  the  unfruitful  branch ; 
and  when  the  speaker  in  Bible  language  told  of 
the  cutting  off  and  casting  away,  she  began  to 
look  upon  her  own  life  to  see  if  she  could  find 
any  fruit  whatsoever,  saying  to  herself  that  how- 
ever small  and  unlovely  the  fruit,  if  any  might 
be  found,  it  would  prove  her  union  with  Christ. 
It  might  be  sour  and  crabbed  fruit ;  but  if  so, 
there  was  hope  in  the  words,  "  And  every  branch 
that  beareth  fruit  he  purgeth  it,  that  it  may 
bring  forth  more  fruit."  Speaking  of  this  purg- 
ing :  "  It  is,"  said  the  pastor,  "  the  lopping  off  of 
hindrances,  as  the  master  of  the  vineyard  pinches 
off  the  overgrowth  of  leaf  and  shoot  that  fruit- 
buds  may  develope  and  mature  ;  so  the  Hus- 
bandman comes  into  our  lives  with  his  pruning- 


Miss  Elmer's  Sacrifice.  45 

shears,  and  clips  here  and  there  of  the  over- 
growth of  that  which  to  us  seems  to  make  life 
more  fair  and  symmetrical.  Now  it  is  a  cher- 
ished plan,  a  darling  ambition,  a  joy,  a  hope,  each 
of  which  to  us  appears  legitimate  and  laudable, 
but  which  may  be  taking  too  much  of  the  vital 
force  of  our  lives,  thus  hindering  the  develop- 
ment of  bud,  flower  and  fruit." 

Here  Rachel  lost  a  few  sentences ;  she  was 
thinking  how  her  life  had  been  narrowed  down. 
Surely  the  Husbandman  had  not  forgotten  to 
prune  closely.  Again  and  again  had  she  felt  the 
sharpness  of  this  cutting  off  of  joys,  and  still  she 
was  not  conscious  of  an  increase  of  fruit.  But 
Mr.  Ried  was  saying : 

"  Are  we  ready  to  enter  upon  this  work,  to  take 
up  the  pruniug-knife  and  lop  off  these  habits  of 
living  that  dwarf  the  fruit?  Are  we  ready  to 
put  a  limit  to  the  growth  of  our  affections,  to  our 
ambitions,  to  all  our  plans  of  life  ?  To  lop  off 
our  pride,  and  self-indulgences,  all  self-will, 
hatred  and  anger  ?  How  many  of  us,  I  ask,  are 
willing  to  have  our  lives  so  clipped,  and  cut 
back,  and  contracted,  that  there  shall  be  nothing 
in  the  way  of  a  steady,  grand  and  beautiful 


46  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

Christian  development  ?  Habits  of  living,  accus- 
tomed ways,  are  the  hardest  to  overcome.  In 
spite  of  the  pruning  strong  shoots  are  continually 
starting  out,  and  the  love  of  ease  taking  posses- 
sion, the  branch  is  likely  to  be  fruitless.  Let  us 
see  to  it  that  of  us  it  may  be  said,  '  Herein  is  my 
Father  glorified  that  ye  bear  much  fruit;  so 
shall  ye  be  my  disciples.'  May  we  all  have  this 
mark  of  discipleship.  Have  you  ?  Have  I  ?  " 

"Havel?" 

Miss  Elmer  walked  home  quietly  enough. 
Some  people  always  preserve  an  outward  calm 
while  the  inside  is  anything  but  tranquil.  Her 
neighbors,  Mrs.  Coville  and  Mrs.  Bates,  carried 
on  a  conversation  full  of  kindly  interest  in  each 
other's  families. 

"  Freddy  didn't  go  to  school  to-day,  Johnny 
said,"  was  a  remark  of  Mrs.  Bates  which  caught 
Miss  Elmer's  ear. 

"  No,"  returned  her  friend,  "  the  walk  is  too 
long.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  keep  him  at  home. 
It  was  quite  time  he  was  put  steadily  at  books. 
I  do  wish  we  could  have  a  school  for  small  chil- 
dren near  us." 

"  We  do  need  one,"  said  Mrs.  Bates. 


Miss  Elmer's  Sacrifice.  47 

**  I  don't  suppose  there  is  any  hope  of  such  a 
thing.  There  are  not  scholars  enough  to  make 
it  pay ;  but  there  are  half  a  dozen  about  Fred- 
dy's age  who  really  ought  to  be  at  school.  Miss 
Rachel,  suppose  you  were  to  open  a  school  for 
little  children  ?"  Mrs.  Coville  said  this  play- 
fully, very  much  as  she  would  say,  "  Pretty 
moon,  silver  moon,  come  down  to  me,"  with 
about  as  much  thought  as  to  results.  Then  she 
continued :  "  I  often  feel  that  my  childrens' 
mental  interests  are  being  sacrificed  to  their 
physical." 

"  And  the  rest  of  us  feel  the  same  thing,"  said 
Mrs.  Bates.  "  Some  one  of  us  ought  to  turn 
teacher." 

"Mrs.  Patterson  tells  me  that  her  Emma  is 
going  to  Boston  to  study  the  Kindergarten 
methods,  but  that  will  come  too  late  for  our  lit- 
tle ones." 

"  Yes  "  —  Mrs.  Coville  spoke  sadly  —  "I  sup- 
pose it  is  all  for  the  best ;  but  Freddy  felt  so 
badly  to-day  that  I  cried  with  him.  Good-night, 
Rachel.  I  hope  you  enjoyed  the  meeting." 

Late   that   night   Miss  Elmer  turned  wearily 


48  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

upon  her  pillow,  and  so  restless  was  she  that 
Lydia  exclaimed,  petulantly : 

"  I  declare,  Rachel !  Prayer-meetings  don't 
seem  to  have  a  tranquillizing  effect  upon  your 
nervous  system  !  You'll  wear  yourself  out  turn- 
ing over  so  often.  You  ought  to  have  a  patent 
spring  so  you'd  go  over  easy." 

But  Miss  Elmer,  had  she  chosen  to  reply, 
would  have  said  that  the  prayer-meeting  had 
nothing  to  do  with  it  —  that  her  uneasiness  grew 
out  of  the  talk  to  which  she  had  listened  on  the 
way  home.  She  had  not  yet  come  to  see  that 
the  train  of  thought  started  at  the  meeting  was 
working  up  into  practical  shape  helped  on  by  her 
neighbor's  expression  of  need. 

"  It  is  all  true,"  she  considered  while  Lydia 
slept,  "  and  more  too.  These  children  around 
here  need  to  have  sonlethiug  done  for  them 
quickly.  Some  of  them  are  on  the  road  to  idle, 
ignorant  manhood,  but  I  could  not  do  that  of  all 
things.  I  have  no  taste  for  it." 

"  But  Christ  pleased  not  himself." 

Queer  how  her  thoughts  answered  themselves. 

"  But  it  would  be  a  real  trouble.  Children  do 
litter  up  a  house  so.  They  would  have  to  come 


Miss  Elmer's  Sacrifice.  49 

in  at  the  front  door,  and  I  hate  a  littered  entry." 

"  Christ  pleased  not  himself." 

"  There's  little  Molly  Severn,  I'd  have  to  take 
her,  and  she  is  such  a  disagreeable  child.  I 
could  not  endure  to  teach  her.  But  why  do  I 
think  about  it  ?  Of  course,  I  won't  do  anything 
of  that  sort.  It  would  be  very  unpleasant." 

"  Christ  pleased  not  himself." 

"But  how  absurd  it  would  be.  One  of  the 
Elmers  !  Such  an  old  family  as  ours.  I  ought 
to  consider  the  family  name.  School-teaching 
would  be  a  new  thing  for  the  Elmers.  Dear  me, 
I  don't  believe  I  am  myself  to-night.  If  it  were 
not  the  most  absurd  thing  in  the  world  I  would 
try  it,  but  I  can  not,  so  there's  no  use  in  think- 
ing about  it." 

Miss  Elmer  did  not  find  it  easy  to  change  the 
current  of  her  thoughts,  and  she  could  not  get 
rid  of  the  one  invariable  answer  to  all  her  objec- 
tions. 

"  Christ  pleased  not  himself." 

The  next  morning,  at  the  breakfast  table,  she 
said : 

"  Lydia,  I  am  thinking  that  we  might  as  well 
start  a  little  school." 


50  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

Lydia  dropped  her  fork  suddenly,  and  said  in 
a  tone  of  alarm  : 

"  Why,  Rachel !  What  do  you  mean  ?  Has 
anything  happened  ?  " 

"  A  great  many  things  happen  every  day,  I 
suppose,"  said  Miss  Elmer,  composedly. 

"  To  us,  I  mean  —  to  our  money  ?  "  almost 
gasped  Lydia. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  that  I  have  heard.  I  had  not 
thought  of  teaching  for  pay,  though  I  suppose 
that  would  be  best,  but  I'll  tell  you  about  it," 
and  she  proceeded  to  rehearse  the  talk  of  her 
two  neighbors. 

It  was  not  hard  to  gain  Lydia's  approval  of 
her  scheme.  Then  followed  two  busy  days,  and 
Miss  Rachel  was  ready  for  her  experiment.  She 
had  lopped  off  pride  and  selfish  ease,  and  the 
fruit  of  self-denial  was  already  developing.  As 
the  half-dozen  rollicking  little  creatures  came 
trooping  into  the  house  Lydia  said : 

"  Well,  I  did  say  the  other  day  that  I  would 
rather  live  in  an  orphan-asylum,  but  I  did  not 
think  that  I  should  be  taken  at  my  word." 

There  were  plenty   of  people  to  wonder,  and 


Miss  Elmer's  Sacrifice.  51 

some  to  make  ill-natured  criticisms,  but  there 
were  some  to  rejoice,  among  them  Mrs.  Coville. 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  think  of  such  a 
blessed  thing?"  she  said  one  rainy  afternoon, 
coming  over  to  bring  an  umbrella  for  Freddy. 

Miss  Elmer  smiled  as  she  pinned  one  boy  up 
in  an  old  shawl,  and  wrapped  a  water-proof  cape 
around  another,  and  tied  a  handkerchief  about 
the  throat  of  a  third. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  it  was  the  first  thing  that 
came  to  me  after  that  Thursday  evening  talk 
about  bearing  fruit,  and  I  had  no  time  to  waste 
in  looking  for  something  more  congenial  —  I 
mean  that  I  fancied  would  be  more  congenial." 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Coville,  "since  Freddy  be- 
came lame  I  have  murmured  a  great  deal,  be- 
cause of  the  distance  from  school.  I  did  not 
know  what  the  Lord  had  waiting  for  my  boy.  I 
have  such  a  restful  feeling  about  him  now,  and 
to  think  I  might  have  saved  all  that  worry." 

"And  so  it  all  came  of  her  going  to  prayer- 
meeting  with  me  !  How  the  Lord  pays  us  back, 
even  our  smallest  efforts  ! "  thought  Mrs.  Co- 
ville, as  she  picked  her  way  home  through  the 
rain. 


52 


Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 


And  Miss  Elmer,  standing  in  the  door,  after 
the  last  boy  had  gone,  repeated,  softly  : 

"  Herein  is  my  Father  glorified  that  ye  bear 
much  fruit;  so  shall  ye  be  my  disciples." 


CHAPTER   V. 


FULFILLING   THE  LAW. 
"  BEAR  YE  ONE  ANOTHER'S  BURDENS." 


iRS.  Coville  was  widowed !  Not  a  week 
since  the  darkness  fell  so  suddenly  upon 
her,  and  the  bitterness  of  her  lot  she  had  scarcely 
realized  as  yet,  though  she  saw  in  prospect  the 
heaviness  of  the  burden  she  must  bear,  and  was 
ready  to  sink  under  it.  If  things  had  only  been 
different  she  thought  she  could  have  borne  her 
loss  better ;  if  her  children  had  been  older ;  if 
their  circumstances  had  been  less  straightened, 
or  if  the  little  they  possessed  had  been  different- 
ly invested ;  but  as  things  were,  such  a  load  of 

53 


54  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

responsibility  rested  upon  her  that  she  seemed  to 
have  neither  time  nor  strength  for  the  luxury  of 
grief.  She  did  not  know  that  afterward  she 
would  thank  God  for  these  imperative  demands 
upon  her  energies  both  of  body  and  mind,  realiz- 
ing how  gracious  a  Providence  had  thus  kept 

* 

her  from  utter  despair.  She  had  not  yet  had 
time  to  rally  from  the  first  shock,  and  she  felt 
dumb  and  paralyzed.  She  did  not  rebel ;  her 
faith  kept  her  from  that ;  but  her  heart  was  sore 
and  sad ;  and  too  weak  and  sick  to  walk  to 
church,  she  sat  out  the  Sabbath  hours  with  her 
little  ones  clinging  about  her  —  her  fatherless 
little  ones !  God  help  her  and  them.  Thank 
God  for  such  there  is  a  precious  promise. 

That  evening  Mrs.  Bates  looked  over  the  way 
at  her  neighbor's  dark  windows,  and  she  sighed 
as  she  turned  away. 

"  Dear  me,  Mrs.  Coville  is  sitting  over  there 
in  the  dark.  Yes,  to  be  sure,  it  is  dark  to  her 
all  the  same  if  she  has  a  light.  Poor  woman  I 
That  was  good  talk  this  morning  about  bearing 
one  another's  burdens.  I  never  thought  how 
much  that  took  in.  If  people  only  would,  how 
much  more  happiness  there  might  be  in  the 


Fulfilling  the  Law.  55 

world.  It  is  so  much  easier  getting  along  with 
some  one  to  give  a  lift.  But  it  won't  do  a  bit  of 
good.  There's  John,  now,  he  won't  think  of 
anybody  to  help  ;  and  as  for  me,  I  have  all  I  can 
do  to  carry  my  own  burdens.  How  very  tired 
I  am  to-night.  Seems  to  me  I  get  tired  very 
easily.  John,  how  did  you  like  the  sermon  this 
morning  ?  " 

"  First-rate,"  replied  the  husband.  "  None  of 
your  high-flown  preaching  for  me.  One  good, 
practical  discourse  like  that  this  morning  will  do 
more  good  than  a  whole  month  of  sermons  like 
Dr.  La  Salle's." 

u  I  don't  know  about  the  good,"  returned  his 
wife. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  Didn't  you  like  it  this 
morning  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  but  as  to  the  practical  benefit  of 
sermons  I  am  not  sure  that  they  amount  to  much. 
We  listen,  and  express  ourselves  edified ;  but 
whether  we  are  really  built  up  in  good  works  is 
doubtful.  I  don't  think  there  is  much  working 
out  sermons." 

"I  don't  know  —  perhaps  not.     But  I  suppose 


56  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

we  can  not  judge  —  only  so  far  as  we  are  imme- 
diately concerned,"  said  Mr.  Bates. 

"  And  that's  just  it.  I  know  I  never  carry 
out  any  of  bis  ideas,"  and  Mrs.  Bates  looked  very 
sober,  though  her  husband  smiled  pleasantly 
upon  the  little  woman  who  had  suddenly  taken 
her  shawl  from  the  closet  and  brought  her  over- 
shoes to  the  fire. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  he  asked. 

"  I  thought  I  would  step  over  and  speak  a 
word  to  Mrs.  Coville,  and  if  she  can  be  persuaded 
to  go  to  church  I  will  stay  with  the  children 
this  evening.  You  may  call  as  you  go  along." 

Again  Mr.  Bates  smiled,  as  he  thought  how 
his  wife's  tender,  loving  sympathy  would  help 
Mrs.  Coville  to  lift  her  burden. 

It  was  not  in  words  the  light  and  warmth 
that  Mrs.  Bates  brought  into  that  dark  and 
cheerless  home.  Stepping  softly,  she  lighted  and 
shaded  the  lamp,  stirred  the  wood  fire  into  a 
flame  ;  and  learning  from  Freddy,  who  followed 
her  in  his  limping  gait,  as  she  went  to  the  kitchen 
for  wood,  that  they  had  not  had  supper,  she  set 
her  tin  pot  on  the  stove,  and  before  Mrs.  Coville 


Fulfilling  the  Law.  57 

had  time  to  remonstrate,  she  had  a  simple  tea- 
table  spread. 

"  Now,  my  dears,"  she  said,  "  bring  your 
mother's  chair ;  "  and  to  the  mother,  "  I  knew 
you  wouldn't  feel  like  doing  much,  so  I  brought 
over  a  pot  of  cocoa  and  this  cold  chicken ;  and 
now  I'll  just  get  out  your  things  if  you'll  let  me, 
for  Mr.  Bates  is  going  to  call  for  you  to  take  you 
to  church  this  evening." 

Of  course  Mrs.  Coville  objected,  but  her  friend 
said: 

"  It  will  be  better  for  you.  Lina,  here,  needs 
to  go."  Speaking  very  tenderly :  "you  must  re- 
member your  children  ;  and  the  sooner  you  take 
up  your  new  life  the  better  for  them." 

The  oldest  boy  was  twelve  years  old,  and 
while  his  mother  and  Lina  were  gone  to  church, 
and  after  Freddy  and  little  Clara  were  asleep, 
Mrs.  Bates  and  Henry  had  a  long,  earnest  talk ; 
and  Mrs.  Coville  never  knew  how  much  of  the 
strong,  brave  endeavor,  and  the  tender  care-taking 
which  her  boy  came  to  manifest,  grew  out  of  the 
suggestions  and  encouragements  of  that  same 
little  Mrs.  Bates.  And  as  Henry  grew  older, 
and  more  and  more  lifted  burdens  from  his 


58  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

mother's  shoulders,  and  her  friends  congratulated 
her  now  and  then  upon  having  so  good  a  son, 
neither  of  them  realized  how  a  word  in  sorrow 
had  been  a  fulfilling  of  the  law,  "  Bear  ye  one 
another's  burdens." 

But  while  Mr.  Bates  looked  approvingly  upon 
his  wife's  little  acts  of  kindness,  and  saw  in  them 
a  practical  application  of  the  morning's  sermon, 
what  had  he  to  do  with  it?  Had  it  no  meaning 
for  him  ? 

Very  soon  Mrs.  Coville  found  herself  in  a 
somewhat  embarrassing  position.  Forms  of  the 
law  must  be  gone  through  with.  Matters  of  ad- 
ministration and  guardianship  must  be  attended 
to ;  and  then  came  the  question  who  would  be 
the  friend  in  need  to  stand  as  her  surety  in  these 
things.  Mr.  Cramer,  who  had  been  loud  in  ex- 
pressions of  sympathy  ?  Not  he.  He  did  not 
believe  in  a  woman's  undertaking  any  business 
of  this  sort,  anyway.  She  would  better  let  some 
man  take  the  whole  thing  in  charge,  and  pay 
over  to  her  such  sums  as  should  be  left  after  it 
was  all  settled. 

"  But  the  percentage  is  an  item  which  I  can 
not  afford  to  lose,"  said  Mrs.  Coville.  "  I  can  do 


Fulfilling  the  Law.  59 

the  business  myself,  and  save  more  for  my  chil- 
dren." 

"  But  you  ought  not  to  undertake  it.  It  is 
not  a  woman's  place,"  insisted  Mr.  Cramer. 

This  rebuff  so  dismayed  the  sad-hearted  woman 
that  she  had  no  courage  to  seek  further  for  help. 
But  Rachel  Elmer  herself  found  out  several  of 
their  own  church-members,  and  presented  the 
case. 

"  You  know,"  she  said  to  Mr.  Hunting,  "  that 
Mrs.  Coville  is  a  great  manager  ;  she  has  uncom- 
mon ability  and  great  business  capacity.  I'd 
sooner  trust  her  than  half  the  men  who  pretend 
to  be  great  financiers.  If  it  were  a  man  of  ordi- 
nary business  talents  who  asked  this  of  you,  you 
would  not  refuse." 

Air.  Hunting  was  well  aware  that  Miss  Elmer 
knew  that  he  had  often  lent  his  name  to  business 
men,  so  he  could  not  pleau.  that  it  was  not  his 
custom  ;  he  could  only  smile  blandly  and  ask  to 
be  excused. 

"  Certainly,  as  you  choose  ;  but  if  you  can  not 
do  this  much  for  a  sister  in  Christ,  what  are  cove- 
nant vows  worth  ?  You  are  a  rich  man  ;  the  lit- 
tle that  Mrs.  Coville  possesses  would  be  as 


60  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

nothing  to  you,  even  if  there  were  any  risk.   But 
good-morning." 

Miss  Rachel  was  not  discouraged.  The  next 
man  she  met  was  Mr.  Betson  ;  he,  a  man  of  the 
world,  was  ready  to  put  to  shame  this  Christian 
man,  and  the  way  out  of  Mrs.  Coville's  troubles 
was  shortened.  Meantime  Mr.  Bates  had  been 
thinking.  Mrs.  Coville's  burdens  were  heavy. 
Could  he  help  her?  He  had  done  much.  Was 
more  required  of  him  ?  He  knew  of  her  present 
strait;  should  he  step  forward  with  an  offer  of 
help  ?  What  of  the  application  of  the  Golden 
Rule  to  this  case  ?  What  if  it  were  his  wife  and 
his  children?  And,  too,  he  knew  that  his  wife, 
dear,  loving,  sympathizing  little  creature  that 
she  was,  had  not  one-half  the  business  capacity 
that  Mrs.  Coville  possessed.  In  his  heart  he 
knew  that  the  risk  was  almost  nominal ;  but  he 
had  never  done  sue'  a  thing,  and  had  made  it  a 
settled  principle  never  to  do  it,  and  had  prom- 
ised his  wife.  But,  then,  this  was  a  peculiar 
case.  Perhaps  he  had  better  talk  it  over  with 
Charlotte.  She  had  spoken  particularly  of  that 
sermon —  what  if,  after  all,  it  should  bring  forth 
fruit  in  this  way  ?  Suppose  it  was  his  own  sister  ? 


Fulfilling  the  Law.  61 

But  that  was  different.  Was  it  ?  Are  we  not 
all  one  family  in  Christ  Jesus  ?  Are  we  not 
bound  to  do  and  care  for  each  other  in  times  of 
need  ?  Have  not  these  a  right  to  expect,  and 
seek  not  only  our  sympathy  but  our  aid  ?  What 
would  Christ  have  done  ?  Was  this  his  oppor- 
tunity to  fulfill  the  law  of  love  ?  Why  should 
he  do  this  thing  ?  There  were  richer  men  than  he 
in  the  neighborhood  —  men  more  accustomed  to 
taking  such  responsibilities.  Very  well,  will 
you  let  another  take  the  reward  ?  "  Bear  ye  one 
another's  burdens."  It  was  strange  that  this 
opportunity  of  burden-bearing  should  have  come 
so  closely  upon  the  holding  up  of  that  command. 
Was  it  ?  or  was  it  that  the  mind,  having  been 
quickened  upon  the  subject,  the  case  seemed  to 
have  unusual  prominence  ?  Were  not  such  op- 
portunities, or,  rather,  similar  ones,  presenting 
themselves  every  day  ?  Does  not  the  Father,  in 
giving  us  the  place  of  children  in  his  family,  give 
us  with  it,  almost  daily,  privileges  of  exercising 
a  self-sacrificing  love,  of  doing  a  self-forgetting 
work  for  him  ?  Mr.  Bates  revolved  these  and 
other  thoughts  in  his  mind,  and  finally  he  said : 
"  Charlotte,  if  I  do  this  in  the  name  of  the 


62  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Lord  Jesus,  then  shall  the  blessing  of  God  be 
upon  it." 

Thus  helped  by  one  and  another,  Mrs.  Coville 
took  up  her  burden  of  living  once  more.  It  was 
curious  how  many  found  opportunities  for  this 
burden-bearing  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Through  that  long  winter  in  her  first  struggle 
alone  with  the  world  Mrs.  Coville  felt  the  way 
smoother  by  the  many  little  kindnesses  of  her 
brothers  and  sisters. 

And  how  Robert  Niles  and  Helen  Betson 
found  their  opportunities  we  must  leave  for  an- 
other chapter. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
HELEN'S  OPPORTUNITIES. 

"AND  SO  FULFILL  THE  LAW  OF  CHBIST." 


HE  cold  snap  that  had  shriveled  people 
and  plants  alike,  and  set  everybody 
to  grumbling,  was  over;  the  early  morn  had 
melted  away ;  overcoats  and  water-proofs  were 
hung  back  in  the  closets,  and  smiles  and  cheer- 
ful tones  had  taken  the  place  of  frowns  and  dis- 
content, and  dear,  delightful  Indian  summer  had 
come  to  bless  the  earth.  Sweet  old  age  of  the 
year !  So  near  the  last,  and  how  bright  and 
tranquil !  Dull,  dreary  November  holds  in 
keeping  for  us  those  few  bright  days  —  bright 

63 


64  Echoing  and  Re-eclioing. 

though  not  clear ;  a  haze  hangs  over  the  hills  and 
fills  the  valleys,  softening  the  picture  of  leafless 
trees  and  brown  bare  fields. 

The  wise  grown-up  people  are  finishing  all 
their  odd  out-of-door  jobs,  while  the  younger 
ones  are  drinking  in  as  much  as  possible  of  the 
brightness  and  beauty  of  the  season.  The  chil- 
dren tumbled  in  the  drifts  of  fallen  leaves,  pelt- 
ing each  other  with  scarlet  berries  or  brown 
nuts.  Almost  every  one  was  out  of  doors  enjoy- 
ing the  sunshine.  It  seemed  wrong  to  lose  a  bit 
of  it.  But  Helen  Betson  was  very  busy ;  she 
did  not  leave  her  desk  at  morning  recess,  though 
her  seat-mate  and  friend,  Flora  Niles,  said  : 

"  Do,  Helen,  do  come  out.  It  is  such  a  bright 
day  it  will  do  you  good." 

"  I  can't ;  at  least  I  would  rather  not.  Christ- 
mas will  be  here  before  I  am  ready  for  it ;  so  I 
must  improve  the  minutes;"  and  the  shining 
crochet-hook  slipped  in  and  out  through  the 
meshes  of  scarlet  wool. 

"  Well,  if  j'ou  won't  come,  you  won't,5'  and 
Flora  ran  away. 

The  school-room  was  almost  deserted.  Only 
Helen  and  Jenny  Vosburgh  were  left.  Jenny 


Helen's   Opportunities.  65 

was  bending   over  her  slate   with  wrinkles   of 
perplexity  in  her  forehead  ;  she  was  not  quick  at 
figures,  and  these  algebra  lessons  were  her  daily 
trial.     Helen,  watching,  saw  her  write  her  equa- 
tion, transpose,    multiply,    divide    and    reduce 
again  and    again,  erasing   and  going   over  the 
work  repeatedly.     It  was   almost   time   for  the 
bell,  when   suddenly   Jenny  pushed   away  her 
slate  and  dropped  her  head   upon  her  arms  with 
a  despairing  exclamation.     Someway  Helen  felt 
that  it  was  that  thirteenth  example  which  was 
troubling  Jenny ;  she  remembered  how  it  both- 
ered her,  and  how  a  hint  or  two  from  Tom  had 
set  her  right.     Should  she  go  and  help  Jenny? 
It  would  not  be  any  violation  of  rules  to  give  to 
Jenny  the  same  kind  of  help  that  Tom  had  given 
her.     But  her  work !     She  had  denied  herself 
the  pleasure   of  going  out  for  the  sake  of  her 
mat.      She  really   had  not  time ;    she  did  not 
often  get  her  own  lessons  ahead  so  as  to  gain  a 
little   time   for  fancy   work.     Jenny  would  get 
along  someway.     It  wouldn't  be  such  a  dreadful 
thing  if  she   did  fail;  it  wouldn't  be  the  first 
time.     Her  tear-stained  face  had  too  often  told 
the  story  of  imperfect  recitations,  and  Professor 


66  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Graves'  consequent  displeasure,  for  nothing  so 
tried  the  Professor's  patience  as  a  failure  in  a 
mathematical  recitation. 

"  But  Jenny  Vosburgh  is  not  my  friend  par- 
ticularly. I  don't  know  why  I  should  help  her," 
Helen  argued  with  herself.  "I  can't  help  all 
the  girls  that  have  trouble  with  their  lessons." 
"  And  because  you  can  not  relieve  all  the  sor- 
row in  the  world  you  refuse  to  help  any,"  said 
the  better  self  that  was  trying  to  get  uppermost. 
"  But  I  can't  spend  time.  If  I  do  it  to-day  I'll 
have  to  do  the  same  thing  to-morrow,  and  so  on 
and  on.  What  a  bother !  " 

Helen  sat  by  a  window  that  faced  the  street, 
and  looking  out  she  saw  Mr.  Ried  going  up  the 
walk.  He  stopped  to  chat  with  Flora  and  the 
other  girls,  and  Helen  wished  that  she  had  gone 
out  —  a  word  from  the  pastor  was  worth  a  great 
deal  to  the  young  people. 

"  I  like  Mr.  Ried,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  What 
a  good  sermon  that  was  he  gave  us  yesterday 
morning.  I  wonder  — "  Here  the  sound  of 
Jenny's  pencil,  as  she  renewed  her  perplexing 
study,  brought  Helen  back  to  the  thought  that 
there  was  a  burdened  brain.  "  Bear  ye  one 


Helens   Opportunities.  67 

another's  burdens."     "  Is  this  ray  opportunity  f  " 

"  Jenny,  what  is  the  trouble  ?  You  look  sober 
enough  to  match  an  owl." 

"  I  don't  seem  to  match  him  in  wisdom  if  I  do 
in  sober  expression ;  though  I  never  could  un- 
derstand why  owls  were  made  the  emblem  of 
wisdom.  Anyway,  I  wish  I  had  one  here  to 
help  me  through  this  horrid  equation,"  said 
Jenny,  half  crying. 

"  I  am  not  an  owl,  neither  am  I  wise  as  they 
are  said  to  be ;  but  perhaps  I  can  help  you  "  said 
Helen,  going  over  to  Jenny's  desk.  "  Oh,  it  is 
that  one  !  I  remember  that.  Tom  helped  me. 
The  puzzle  is  —  "  Here  a  few  quick  strokes  of 
the  pencil,  a  suggestion  or  two  as  to  signs,  and 
Jenny's  face  brightened  with  the  sudden  illumi- 
nation of  her  mind,  and  Helen  went  back  to  her 
work. 

It  was  a  little  thing.  Well,  perhaps  so  ;  bat 
so  is  an  acorn  dropped  in  the  earth.  Little  things 
are  not  to  be  despised.  A  cup  of  cold  water  is 
a  little  thing,  yet  what  saith  the  Master  of  so 
small  a  thing  done  in  his  name  ?  But  really, 
this  was  quite  a  bit  of  self-deniul  on  Helenas 
part.  In  the  first  place,  she  had  laid  out  just  aa 


68  Echoing  and   He-echoing. 

much  work  us  she  could  accomplish  before 
Christmas  by  employing  ever}'  spare  minute,  and 
she  grudged  every  speck  of  the  day,  outside 
lesson  hours,  given  to  other  employments.  Then 
she  hated  bother ;  she  was  naturally  inclined  to 
be  selfish  in  that  one  respect ;  putting  herself 
out  of  the  way  for  other  people  was  not  a  part 
of  her  creed  ;  and,  besides,  she  had  no  patience 
with  dull  people.  Quick  herself  to  see  into 
things,  always  perfect  in  recitations,  it  seemed  to 
her  to  be  quite  useless  to  try  to  help  a  dull 
scholar.  There  always  would  be  some  to  drag 
along  in  a  class ;  and  if  you  undertook  to  help 
them  they  were  sure  not  to  know  anything  about 
what  they  had  gone  over,  and  the  rules  might  as 
well  be  written  in  Greek  for  all  the  good  such 
scholars  got  out  of  them.  Still,  it  was  worth 
something  to  Helen  to  see  the  bright  face  of 
Jenny  Vosburgh,  as  an  hour  later  she  stood  be- 
fore the  blackboard  working  out  with  quick, 
ready  hand  that  same  thirteenth  example,  to  the 
astonishment  of  better  scholars  in  the  class,  who 
for  once  had  failed  ;  and  Helen  was  glad  of  this 
opportunity  to  bear  another's  burdens. 

But  other  opportunities   were  coming  to  her. 


Helen's  Opportunities.  69 

It  was  that  same  afternoon.  At  recess  there  had 
been  a  little  commotion  among  the  girls ;  a 
few  of  them  stood  chatting  upon  the  doorstep  ; 
presently  Minnie  Gates  joined  the  group,  when 
instantly  a  hush  came  over  them  ;  one  or  two  of 
the  more  lofty  turned  away  ;  Flora  Niles  fell  to 
studying  her  history  which  she  had  in  her  hand. 
Helen  sat  upon  the  topmost  step  with  her  inter- 
minable crocheting  ;  she  had  been  too  much  oc- 
cupied with  counting  stitches  to  join  in  the  con- 
versation, but  now  she  noticed  the  silence,  and 
looking  up  she  saw  the  tears  gathering  in  Min- 
nie's eyes.  Minnie  Gates  was  carrying  a  burden 
heavy  for  a  young  heart.  Hers  had  been  a  happy 
home  until  a  year  ago,  when  suddenly  all  its 
brightness  went  out.  The  whole  community 
was  shocked  at  the  discovery  that  Mr.  Gates 
had  been  concerned  in  the  bank  defalcation,  by 
which  so  many  had  suffered,  and  the  family 
were  sunk  to  the  depths  of  wretchedness.  The 
guilty  man  fled,  and  mother  and  daughter  were 
left  to  breast  the  storm  as  best  they  could. 
Minnie  would  say :  "  Mother,  I  could  bear  tho 
hard  work  and  the  sacrifice  of  all  our  nice 


70  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

things,  if  it  were  not  for  the  disgrace  ;  but  that 
is  too  hard." 

Then  Mrs.  Gates  would  moan  and  bewail  their 
hard  fate,  until  Minnie  learned  to  bear  her  bur- 
den of  slights  and  scornful  looks  without  com- 
plaining. The  school-girls  did  not  mean  to  be 
unkind ;  at  least  some  of  them  did  not.  There 
were  those  to  whom  Minnie's  poverty  was  far 
more  than  her  father's  crime,  and  there  were 
others,  who,  like  Flora  Niles,  turned  with  a  pain- 
ful feeling  away  from  the  daughter  of  a  forger. 
Neither  Flora  nor  Helen  had  known  much  of 
the  girl ;  but  Helen's  father  had  been  one  of  the 
heavy  losers,  and  naturally  Minnie  shrank  from 
the  daughter  of  one  whom  her  father  had 
wronged  ;  and  Helen  herself  had  never  felt 
called  upon  to  trouble  herself  about  her  school 
mate  in  any  way.  But,  to-day  the  sad,  pleading 
face  haunted  her.  After  the  bell  rang  and  they 
all  went  in  to  their  books,  she  kept  thinking 
about  her,  and  the  result  of  that  thinking  came 
out  after  school.  As  Minnie  went  down  the 
street  alone,  as  usual,  Helen  joined  her,  saying : 

"  I  am  going  up  Court  street  to-night.     What 
a  lovely  day  this  is.     Haven't  you  enjoyed  it  ? 


Helens   Opportunities.  71 

I  just  feel  like  singing.  But,  dear  me,  the  cold 
weather  will  soon  be  here  to  stay." 

"  Yes,"  returned  Minnie,  almost  too  surprised 
to  speak,  "and  I  dread  it.  I  used  to  love  the 
winter;  but — it  is  different  now." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  ought  to  make  the  most 
of  these  days,"  replied  Helen.  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  we  will  do  —  if  the  pleasant  weather  lasts 
until  Saturday,  we  will  go  to  the  woods,  a  lot  of 
us  girls,  and  have  one  more  good  time  this  year. 
Won't  we  ?  " 

Minnie  was  surprised  into  a  look  of  pleasure, 
and  an  exclamation  of  — 

"  Oh,  delightful.  I  have  not  been  to  the 
woods  this  fall,  and  I  want  to  get  some  mold  for 
my  geraniums." 

"  Do  you  keep  plants  ?  "  asked  Helen. 

"  Only  a  few  now." 

"  I  have  two  lovely  rose-bushes  just  alike.  I'd 
like  to  have  you  take  one  of  them.  They  are 
very  thrifty  —  none  of  your  hot-house  forced 
plants.  I'll  get  Tom  to  bring  one  around  if  you'd 
like  it?" 

"Oh,  thank  you.  I  had  a  tea-rose,  but  it 
faded  away  and  died." 


72  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Minnie  spoke  sadly,  as  if  rose-bushes  were  not 
the  only  things  that  had  faded  away  and  died. 

"  Are  you  going  into  the  Ancient  History 
class  ?  "  asked  Helen. 

"No  —  I  think  not.  I  could  take  it  up  as 
well  as  not,  only  —  "  Minnie  hesitated,  and  the 
quick  color  mounted  to  her  face. 

"  I  knew  the  other  girls  of  your  class  in  United 
States  History  were  going  to  take  it  up.  Pro- 
fessor Graves  makes  it  very  interesting,"  said 
Helen,  who  was  one  year  in  advance  of  Miiiijio 
in  the  school  course. 

"  Well,"  said  Minnie,  with  a  frankness  which 
Helen's  pleasant,  cordial  manner  called  forth, 
"  to  tell  the  truth,  I  cannot  afford  to  buy  a  book. 
They  are  quite  expensive,  you  remember." 

Helen  Betson  was  visibly  embarrassed,  and 
her  companion  wondered  if  her  reference  to  their 
parents  had  brought  up  afresh  to  Helen's  mind 
its  cause,  and  if  this  was  why  the  color  mounted 
to  her  cheeks  and  forehead.  Helen  had  been 
ready  to  give  away  her  rose-bush  ;  but  her  be- 
loved school-books,  she  had  a  habit  of  treasuring 
them  carefully r  She  could  never  endure  to  lend 
them  ;  and  when  she  had  said,  "  Good-night "  to 


Helen's    Opportunities.  73 

Minnie  and  gone  Lome,  she  went  straight  to  the 
little  book-case  and  looked  them  over.  There 
they  were,  from  the  little  First  Reader  up  to  her 
geometry  and  Latin  grammar,  a  graduated  row. 
Should  she  take  out  the  history  and  break  the 
line? 

"  How  foolish  I  am,"  she  reasoned.  "  But  I 
can't  help  it.  It  seems  as  if  these  books  were  a 
part  of  me.  If  I  had  any  money  —  I  mean  .if  it 
were  not  so  near  Christmas,  I  would  buy  a  new 
one  for  Minnie  ;  and  that  wouldn't  do,  either ; 
it  would  seem  more  like  charity.  It  is  real  self- 
ish of  me.  Minnie  isn't  to  blame  for  her  father's 
villainy  ;  and  she  is  such  a  splendid  scholar,  it 
is  a  pity  that  she  shouldn't  go  on  with  the  class. 
Poor  child !  I  suppose  life  is  a  burden  to  her  at 
the  best,  and  I  don't  think  we  girls  have  any  of 
us  helped  to  lighten  it  as  we  might.  Well,  I 
will  do  this  much,  anyway."  And  this  is  the 
note  that  Tom  took  around  to  Mrs.  Gates'  door : 

DEAR  MINNIE  :  —  I  find  that  my  old  history 
is  almost  as  good  as  new.  Will  you  take  it  and 
go  on  with  the  class  ?  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  have 


74  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

you.     I  have  no   younger  sisters  to  use  it,  you 
know :  so  you  can  keep  it  from  molding. 

Lovingly,  HELEN. 

It  was  a  little  thing  to  walk  home  with  a 
schoolmate,  and  lend  her  an  old,  half-worn  book. 
So  it  was;  but  much  grew  out  of  it.  First, 
Minnie  carried  home  a  lighter  heart ;  then  there 
was  a  talk  that  Helen  had  with  Flora  Niles  and 
Clara  Hunting,  out  of  which  grew  kindly  atten- 
tions toward  the  lonely  girl  on  the  part  of  these 
leaders,  and  thus  the  way  was  smoothed,  and  the 
law  of  Christ  fulfilled. 


CHAPTER    VII. 
FOR   CHRIST'S   SAKE. 

"And  whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 


'OBERT  Niles  found  his  opportunities. 

That  Monday  morning  he  called  at  the 
parsonage  ;  he  had  a  communication  from  his 
mother  to  Mrs.  Ried.  Mrs.  Niles  did  not  hear 
the  sermon,  but  it  may  be  that  the  thoughts 
awakened  by  Flora's  report  of  it  had  worked  out 
this  result.  Anyway,  Robert  was  the  bearer  of 
a  note  which  ran  thus : 

DEAR  MRS.  RIED  :  —  Will  you  send  over  that 
work  basket  which  Flora  saw  in  your  room  the 
75 


76  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

other  day  ?  My  hands  are  not  used  to  idleness, 
and  it  will  be  a  favor  if  you  will  furnish  the 
work  for  a  little  time.  Don't  refuse  me. 

Sincerely,  EMMA  NILES. 

Robert  waited  in  the  little  sitting-room,  listen- 
ing, meantime,  to  restless  footsteps  overhead. 
Steps  which  he  knew  to  be  those  of  the  pastor, 
and  he  said  to  himself :  "  Mr.  Ried  is  troubled ; 
I  know  by  the  walk.  I  wonder  if  it  is  anything 
I  can  help."  To  Mrs.  Ried : 

"  How  is  Mr.  Ried  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  is  quite  tired  out.  I  think  he  is  over- 
worked. He  made  a  great  many  calls  last  week, 
and  with  those  two  funerals  and  the  regular 
Sabbath  preparations,  he  is  quite  used  up. 
Won't  you  walk  up  to  the  study  ?  I  think  he 
would  like  to  see  you." 

In  that  half  hour  Mr.  Niles  gained  some  new 
ideas  as  to  his  pastor's  needs,  and  as  to  ways  in 
which  his  people  might  bear  his  burdens.  And 
as  for  the  pastor,  that  restless  walk  had  ceased, 
and  as  he  turned  to  take  up  his  work  again,  its 
tangled  threads  had  somehow  straightened,  and 
its  pattern  had  grown  brighter  and  less  complex. 


For  Christ's  Sake.  77 

And  yet  there  had  been  no  word  of  complaint  or 
hint  of  an  overworked  and  burdened  brain,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  no  formal  or  sentimental  ut- 
terances of  sympathy  on  the  other  —  such  things 
were  unlike  these  strong-hearted  men.  But 
there  was  the  mingling  of  that  under-current  of 
earnestness  and  unity  of  purpose  which  both 
felt,  though  unexpressed. 

It  was  at  the  next  Thursday  evening  meeting 
that  Mr.  Ried,  after  alluding  to  the  deep  relig- 
ious feeling  abroad  in  the  community,  said  : 

"  I  am  weighed  down  with  the  burden  of  souls. 
An  overpowering  sense  of  responsibility  has 
fallen  upon  me  !  Who  will  share  the  work  ? 
Who  will  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against 
the  host  of  sin  ?  " 

Robert  Niles  came  to  his  feet  with  a  ready 
response. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  said,  "  that  the  text  from 
which  our  pastor  preached  last  Sabbath  morning 
is  far-reaching  enough  to  cover  this  ground  — 
that  we  should  not  let  him  bear  the  burden  of 
souls  alone.  We  ought  certainly  to  feel  an 
anxiety  for  the  salvation  of  others.  We  are 
none  of  us  free  from  responsibility  in  this  matter. 


78  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

But  this  thought  has  come  to  me  with  force, 
that  when  the  burden  rests  with  an  unusual 
pressure  upon  the  heart  of  God's  appointed  ser- 
vant, ought  we  not  to  be  ready  to  stand  by  him 
with  our  prayers,  with  our  most  earnest  efforts, 
upholding  and  assisting  him  in  every  possible 
way  to  the  furtherance  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 
To  be  practical,  what  shall  we  do  ?  Let  us  re- 
lieve him  from  all  necessity  or  worldly  cares ; 
then  let  us  join  him  in  personal  labor  for  others 
—  praying  more  continually  arid  more  earnestly 
for  the  upbuilding  of  the  kingdom.  Let  us  seek 
for  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  we 
may  be  strengthened  in  the  faith,  and  be  en- 
abled to  carry  the  burdens  of  others,  as  we  are 
commanded.  Our  pastor  has  a  heavy  burden  of 
pastoral  work.  We  ought  to  help  in  that. 
Though  we  shrink  from  it,  it  may  be  our  duty  to 
seek  out  men  and  press  home  the  claims  of 
the  Christian  religion.  It  may  be  our  duty  to 
go  from  house  to  house  carrying  the  warnings 
and  the  invitations — yes,  and  the  promises  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Mr.  Niles  did  not  consider  his  duty  done  with 
these  words  of  exhortation.      The  next  morning 


For  Christ's  Sake.  79 

a  boy  left  an  envelope  at  the  door  of  the  parson- 
age, containing  fifty  dollars  in  bank  bills,  with 
only  a  line : 

"Perhaps  the  enclosed  may  lift  a  burden. 

Yours  in  Christ." 

And  his  words  re-echoed  in  other  hearts,  and 
the  pastor  rejoiced  in  the  kindly  remembrances 
of  his  people.  But  better  still  was  the  increased 
earnestness  and  eagerness  with  which  they 
drank  in  the  words  of  life,  the  readiness  with 
which  they  responded  to  his  call  for  volunteers 
to  engage  in  active  work.  If  he  had  doubted 
the  acceptability  of  his  labor,  he  could  do  so  no 
longer;  and,  mutually  encouraged  and  strength- 
ened, pastor  and  people  were  moving  forward  to 
meet  boldly  the  enemies  of  Christ. 

The  next  Sabbath  morning  Mr.  Niles  was 
making  a  last  study  of  the  Sunday-school  lesson 
—  not  as  you  may  perhaps  imagine,  with  com- 
mentaries spread  out  before  him,  nor  with  the 
HEEALD  AND  PRESBYTER  even.  The  helps  had 
been  laid  aside,  after  careful  study  in  days  be- 
fore, and  now,  with  Bible  and  note-book  only,  he 
was  gathering  up  his  thoughts  for  the  business 
of  teaching. 


80  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

A  message  —  a  queer  message  it  was  —  was 
brought  in.  It  was  a  crumbled  and  soiled  bit  of 
paper,  and  in  a  hand  that  Robert  Niles  afterward 
remembered  as  showing  signs  of  culture,  was 
scrawled  : 

"For  the  love  of  Christ  help  a  poor  wretch, 
•without  home,  friends,  or  character." 

The  boy  who  brought  this  note,  without  date 
or  signature,  said: 

"  It's  a  man  down  to  the  station-house,  what 
father  took  up  last  night,  and  I  tell  ye  he's  a 
hard  un  to  look  at,  he  is  !  " 

"What  does  he  want  of  me,"  asked  Robert, 
wonderingly. 

"  Dunno.  '  Spect  he  wants  some  clothes  and 
things.  He's  awful  hard  up,  I  guess." 

"  Yes,  no  doubt,"  returned  Mr.  Niles,  "  but 
why  does  he  send  to  me  ?  " 

"  Dunno,"  said  the  boy  again.  "  'Spect  as 
how  father  told  him  on  you,  'cause  I  heard  the 
old  man  —  that's  father  I  mean — say  he  saw 
you  give  a  man  a  dollar  '  cause  he  hadn't  any 
fingers  on  his  right  hand,  so  he  couldn't  saw 
brackets  no  more.  He  thinks  a  sight  of  you, 
father  does,  and  I  heard  that  fellow  down  there 


For  Christ's  Sake.  81 

say  that  if  he  could  only  start  right  on'ct,  he 
would  go  it  all  slick  and  smooth ;  and  so  I  kinder 
think  old  dad  told  him  maybe  as  how  you'd  be 
the  chap  as  would  give  him  a  lift." 

Robert  laughed  a  little  at  the  boy's  rigmarole, 
and  then  he  reflected.  A  glance  at  the  note  — 
"  for  the  love  of  Christ,"  that  decided  him  —  he 
could  not  turn  away  from  that  appeal.  He 
would  see  what  it  meant. 

A  short  brisk  walk  brought  him  to  the  station- 
house,  and  there  he  found  the  forlorn  specimen 
of  humanity  who  had  appealed  to  him  for  help. 

"  Well,  my  friend,  can  I  do  anything  for  you  ?  " 

The  man  looked  up,  and  seemed  to  be  taking 
his  measure,  though  he  said  nothing. 

"You  seeni  to  be  in  a  little  trouble  ;  what  can 
I  do  for  you  ?  "  repeated  Robert  Niles.  "  I  be- 
lieve you  sent  for  me." 

"  Yes,  the  keeper  here  said  you'd  be  the  one 
to  do  me  a  good  turn  if  anybody  would.  The 
truth  is,  I've  sunken  very  low,  and  having  gone 
to  the  bottom  I  want  to  start  upward  again.  If  I 
could,  someway,  get  a  little  lift  in  the  beginning, 
I  almost  think  I  could  climb  up  myself." 

Mr.    Niles    looked    at    him.     He  was  not  a 


82  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

pleasant-looking  object  to  look  at,  not  a  very  en- 
couraging subject  for  practical  benevolent  oper- 
ations. His  clothes  were  ragged  and  dirty,  his 
hair  long  and  uncombed,  while  his  countenance 
bore  the  marks  of  dissipation. 

"  You  think  I  don't  look  very  much  like 
climbing.  Well,  I  can't  blame  you  for  that  look 
of  disgust  that  your  face  wears  ;  but  let  me  tell 
you,  young  man,  that  the  Master,  whom  you 
profess  to  follow,  sat  with  the  lowest.  I  used  to 
be  his  follower,  too." 

This,  in  a  tone  so  sad  and  so  helpless,  that 
Robert  was  touched.  He  sat  down  beside  that 
wretched  man,  and  said,  kindly  : 

"  Tell  me  about  it.  How  came  you  here,  and 
what  do  you  wish  me  to  do  ?  " 

It  was  a  long  story.  His  name  was  William 
Walters ;  he  was  a  German  by  birth,  educated 
at  a  German  university,  had  been  in  the  Crimean 
war,  and  later  in  our  war  of  the  rebellion ;  he 
had  been  in  almost  every  country  upon  the  face 
of  the  globe.  His  mother  had  taught  him  to 
pray,  and  he  really  seemed  to  have  known  some- 
thing of  experimental  religion,  but  in  his  wan- 
derings he  had  fallen  into  sin,  and  here  he  was 


For  Christ's  Sake.  83 

an  inmate  of  the  station-house,  without  a  penny, 
and,  as  he  said,  without  a  character ;  but,  seem- 
ingly, desirous  of  forsaking  sin,  and  taking  up  a 
new  life.  Said  he  : 

"  I  came  in  here  last  night,  and  soon  after  I 
picked  up  this  little  paper.  And,  do  you  know, 
it  really  seemed  as  if  it  were  my  very  self  that 
was  pictured  there,  and  I  saw  and  hated  my 
folly  as  I  never  did  before.  And  now  do  you 
think  that  I  could  reform  ?  But  what's  the  use, 
I'm  sure  I  can  not." 

"  Oh,  yes !  you  can,  certainly."  Then  Robert 
Niles  spoke  words  of  cheer —  words  that  seemed 
for  a  moment  to  raise  the  spirits  of  the  dejected 
man,  then  he  sank  back. 

"  It's  no  use  ;  I  have  been  the  slave  of  strong 
drink  so  long  that  I  have  no  power  left  to  resist 
the  tempter." 

"  There's  strength  in  Christ,"  replied  Robert. 

"  Not  for  me." 

"Yes,  for  you  —  for  me  and  for  you.  Come, 
go  with  me.  I'll  find  you  a  place  where  you 
will  be  free  from  temptation  for  the  present." 

"  No,  I  can't  go ;  I've  no  claim  upon  you." 

"  But  you  must  let  me  help  you  ;  you  sent  for 


84  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

me,  you  remember.  Besides,  I  am  seeking  to  do 
the  will  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  you  know  that  he 
always  stretched  out  a  helping  hand." 

"  But  it  is  of  no  use." 

"  You  will  grow  stronger  soon,  and  until  you 
do  you  may  depend  upon  me  to  help  you." 

Finally,  the  stranger  was  persuaded  to  go  with 
his  new  friend,  who  took  him  first  to  his  own 
home,  where  he  fitted  him  out  with  decent 
clothes,  then  he  left  him  in  the  "  stranger's  room." 
In  the  evening  he  took  him  to  church.  The 
next  day  he  found  him  a  comfortable  room,  and 
employed  him  about  the  store  for  a  few  days, 
until  he  could  find  work  more  suited  to  his  ca- 
pacity. And  all  winter  he  went  back  and  forth 
with  this  stranger  that  he  might  lead  him  safely 
past  the  glittering  saloons. 

It  was  a  hard  struggle  for  William  Walters, 
but  with  tbe  help  of  his  friend  he  gained  victor- 
ies, and  day  by  day  grew  in  strength  ;  and  gra- 
dually he  leaned  less  and  less  heavily  upon  Rob- 
ert Niles,  and  trusting  in  Christ's  power  to  keep 
him  from  falling,  he  began  to  stand  firmly  by 
himself. 

But  oh,  how  many,  many  times  did  that  faith.- 


For  Christ's  Sake.  85 

ful  friend  carry  the  burden  of  that  soul  to  the 
throne  of  grace  !  Pie  brought  him  sometimes  to 
talk  with  Mrs.  Niles ;  he  spent  whole  evenings 
in  the  homely  little  room  at  the  boarding-house, 
seeking  in  every  way  to  uphold  and  encourage 
the  weak  and  erring  brother.  Happy  for  both 
was  the  day  when  they  could  feel  assured  that 
the  reformation  was  complete.  Then  they  felt 
that  the  watching  and  the  striving,  and  all  the 
weight  of  care  and  anxiety,  had  not  been  borne 
in  vain. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

A  DINNER-TABLE  TALK. 

"  There  is  a  way  that  seemeth  right  unto  a  man ;  but  the 
end  thereof  are  the  ways  of  death." 


OHN,  will  you  take  some  of  Clara's  mince- 
pie  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Norton  Graves,  ad- 
dressing the  Professor,  who  was  making  a  holi- 
day of  Saturday  by  spending  it  with  his  brother. 
"  Yes,  thank  you.  That  is,"  turning  towards 
the  smiling  hostess,  "  I  suppose  there's  no  brandy 
in  it  ?  " 

"  Not  a  drop  !  "  was  the  ready  response. 
"  No,"  said   Norton,    "  Clara  has   shut  down 
upon  everything  of  that  sort.     She  is  a  convert 
to   Mr.   Ried's   theories.     For  my  part  I  should 
86 


A  Dinner-table  Talk.  87 

like  him  better  if  he  were  a  little  more  liberal  m 
some  of  his  views.  But  that  is  always  the  way , 
people  go  to  such  extremes.  Dr.  Thornton  says 
that  when  they  were  in  college  together  Ried 
was  as  wild  as  any  of  the  boys.  (You  know 
what  that  means.)  I'll  warrant  he  was  not 
afraid  of  brandy  pies  then." 

"Yes,  I  have  heard  it  all,"  said  the  Professor; 
"and  I  have  also  heard  that  he  had  a  great  shock 
in  the  death  of  his  brother,  brother-in-law,  or 
some  near  relative,  who  was  killed  by  the  reck- 
lessness of  a  drunken  coachman,  and  that  he  has 
ever  since  been  a  strong  prohibitionist.  I  was 
glad  to  hear  him  come  out  so  boldly  last  Sabbath. 
A  great  many  have  been  wondering  what  stand 
he  would  take  ;  but  he  left  no  room  for  specula- 
tion on  this  point.  His  position  was  fully  defined." 

"Well,"  returned  the  brother,  "for  my  own 
part  I  was  sorry.  I  don't  think  he  has  any  call 
to  touch  upon  what  properly  belongs  to  political 
speakers.  Ministers  have  nothing  to  do  with 
legislation  and  law,  nor  with  the  subjects  be- 
longing to  these  departments." 

The  Professor  smiled. 

"  You  would  narrowly  circumscribe  the  duties 


88  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

of  the  ministerial  office,  and  make  the  range  of 
subjects  from  which  a  minister  may  choose  very 
narrow." 

"  How  so  ?  " 

"  Why,  murder,  theft,  slander,  perjury,  fraud, 
and  a  host  of  wickedness  besides,  have  been 
made  subjects  of  legislation.  Of  course  the 
minister  of  the  gospel  has  no  business  to  preach 
against  any  of  these  sins.  The  political  men,  the 
lawyers,  will  take  care  of  all  such  matters. 
Strange  if  a  pastor  may  not  warn  his  flock,  es- 
pecially the  young,  against  the  beginnings  of 
falsehood,  because  there  is  a  law  against  the  ex- 
treme of  that  sin.  He  may  not  warn  against  the 
habit  of  backbiting  and  evil-speaking,  because 
the  law  provides  a  penalty  in  the  case  of  the 
slanderer.  He  may  not  caution  that  boy  against 
taking  the  advantage  of  his  schoolmate  in  that 
knife  trade,  because  lawyers  look  after  the  cases 
of  defaulters." 

"  Now,  John,  you  know  you  are  talking  non- 
sense !  "  said  Norton,  laughing. 

"  Am  I  ?  I  don't  see  how  you  make  that  out. 
If  a  pastor  may  warn  his  people  against  these 
sins  for  which  the  law  provides  a  penalty, 


A  Dinner-table  Talk.  89 

and  if  he  may  warn  against  those  heart-sins 
with  which  human  law  does  not  deal,  why  may 
he  not  preach  against  that  which  gives  occasion 
for  so  much  discipline  in  the  Church  of  Christ, 
which  so  hinders  the  success  of  the  gospel  which 
they  present?  It  is  you  who  talk  nonsense. 
The  truth  is,  ministers  and  Christian  men  have 
left  it  to  political  men  too  long.  If  this  liquor 
traffic  be  an  evil,  then  let's  have  warnings  rung 
out  from  every  pulpit  in  the  land." 

"  Well,  I  don't  like  such  a  thing  just  before 
election,"  said  Mr.  Norton  Graves.  "  I  don't 
like  the  phrase,  'Electioneering  sermon. ' ' 

The  Professor  laughed  this  time. 

"  Well,  if  you  don't  like  it,  why  use  it,"  1 
should  never  think  of  giving  Mr.  Ried's  sermon 
that  designation.  It  does  not  apply  in  the  least." 

"  Well,  that  is  what  the  rabble  call  it,"  re- 
turned his  brother. 

"  The  rabble  !  Seems  to  me,  Norton,  you  are 
suddenly  very  sensitive  to  the  opinions  of  the 
rabble.  If  a  lot  of  ruffians  had  planned  to  steal 
into  your  house  and  do  you  an  injury,  you  would 
not  mind  the  opinions  of  the  rabble  when  Mr. 
Ried  made  an  outcry,  though  you  might  think 


90  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

he  was  overstepping  the  circumscribed  limits  of 
his  sphere  if  he  interfered  and  gave  you  a  note 
of  warning,"  with  which  bit  of  sarcasm  the  Pro- 
fessor pushed  his  empty  plate  from  him,  and 
rested  his  folded  arms  upon  the  edge  of  the 
table.  The  hostess  smiled,  for  she  understood 
what  that  meant.  It  was  a  trick  of  the  Pro- 
fessor when  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that  there 
was  a  great  deal  to  be  said,  and  that  the  time 
had  come  for  saying  it. 

"  See  here,  Norton,  you  are  a  temperance  man." 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  am  not  a.  fanatic." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  implication.  If  by  a  fa- 
natic you  mean  one  in  dead  earnest,  I  am  a 
fanatic,  and  I  do  not  consider  it  an  uncompli- 
mentary appellation.  As  I  was  saying,  you  must 
see  that  there  is  great  need  of  direct  legislation 
against  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  drinks.  The 
temperance  people  have  reasoned,  remonstrated 
and  persuaded ;  and  in  spite  of  reason  or  re- 
monstrance the  traffic  goes  on.  The  dealers 
will  not  be  persuaded  to  abandon  a  money- 
making  business.  The  consumers  will  not  be 
persuaded  to  break  away  from  that  which  holds 
them  by  the  power  of  appetite.  And  if  we  do 


A  Dinner-table  Talk.  91 

succeed  in  helping  now  and  then  one  to  break 
the  fetters,  there  is  the  fresh  recruit  for  the  army 
of  drunkards  to  fill  his  place." 

"Of  course,  John,  I  acknowledge  the  need  of 
legislation,  but  you  go  to  such  lengths." 

"Yes,  there  is  a  difference  in  our  ideas  of 
right  legislation  on  this  subject.  You  assume 
that  our  acknowledged  evil  —  one  which,  if  let 
alone,  would  spread  ruin  and  desolation  through- 
out the  laud  —  should  be  restricted.  I  ask  that 
it  should  be  prohibited.  You  would  limit  its 
power ;  I  would  destroy  it  altogether.  Think 
of  a  law  restricting  and  regulating  theft,  or 
frauds !  It  is  the  duty  of  a  Christian  people  to 
remove  evil  from  their  midst,  not  to  protect  it." 

"  But,"  said  Mr.  Norton  Graves,  "  I  doubt  if 
we  have  the  right  to  destroy  the  business  en- 
tirely." 

"  Well,  if  you  consider  that  we  have  laws 
upon  our  statute  books  prohibiting  nuisances, 
and  forbidding  such  uses  of  private  property  as 
shall  be  to  the  injury  of  our  neighbor ;  and  when 
you  consider  how  much  greater  a  nuisance  is 
this  liquor  business  than  any  you  find  mentioned, 
and  how  much  greater  the  injury  inflicted  by  it, 


92  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

I  think  you  will  scarcely  say  we  have  no  right 
in  this  case.  Surely,  if  we  may  prohibit  the 
lesser,  we  may  the  greater." 

"  Well,  John,  I  did  not  know  that  you  were 
such  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  prohibition  sys- 
tem," said  the  brother. 

"  I  don't  think  I  was  ever  so  decided  until 
lately.  I  see  now  that  there  is  no  middle  course." 

The  conversation  was  protracted,  and  there 
were  two  or  three  eager  listeners.  There  was 
Lydia  Elmer,  who  had  pitched  upon  this  Satur- 
day to  visit  her  old  friend  Clara  Graves.  These 
two  had  not  outgrown  their  girlish  intimacy,  and 
this  was  the  one  house  where  Lydia  paid  frequent 
visits.  Now,  with  glowing  eyes  and  burning 
cheeks,  she  took  in  every  word  of  this  talk  of  the 
brothers.  The  echo  of  Mr.  Ried's  words  readied 
her  ear  and  kindled  an  interest,  and  as  the  talk 
went  on,  her  friend  joining,  and  Robert  Niles, 
who  was  also  present,  putting  in  a  word  now 
and  then,  plans  of  working  were  suggested,  and 
though  Lydia  said  nothing,  great  resolves  were 
taking  shape  in  her  heart.  And,  too,  Robert 
Niles  found  that  his  zeal  was  being  kindled 
into  a  fresh  flame,  and  he  carried  some  of  it 


A  Dinner-table  Talk.  93 

out  to  the  Clarkson  neighborhood  ;  and  the  few 
words  he  dropped  there  awakening  an  intense 
interest,  to  his  utter  astonishment  he  found  him- 
self besieged  for  a  regular  speech  upon  the  fol- 
lowing evening.  His  friend,  Newton  Clark, 
looked  on,  listened  and  smiled,  thinking  "  what 
a  good  day  it  was  for  the  Clarksou  neighborhood 
when  I  hit  upon  Bob  for  the  place  I  " 

But  perhaps  the  strongest  impression  was 
made  upon  a  fourteen-year-old  boy  who  sat  a 
silent  listener  during  the  dinner  hour,  or  after 
dinner  hour.  He  was  a  nephew  of  the  Graves 
Brothers,  who  was  a  favorite  with  both  uncles ; 
but  the  boy  liked  better  the  lively,  genial  ways 
of  Uncle  Norton,  the  more  serious  manner  of  the 
other  being  less  to  his  taste.  But  to-day,  listen- 
ing with  eager,  boyish  interest  to  the  discussion 
of  great  principles,  he  said  at  last  within 
himself,  "  I  declare,  I  do  believe  Uncle  John 
is  right.  When  I  am  old  enough  I'll  vote  the 
way  he  does.  But,  dear  me,"  he  added,  "it 
will  all  be  over  by  that  time.  Slavery  is  used 
up,  and  now  if  they  go  and  finish  up  this  liquor 
business,  what  will  be  left  for  us  boys  to  fight 
for  when  we  are  men  ?  —  that's  what  I'd  like  to 


94  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

know."  And  from  that  hour  Frank  Thornton 
set  his  face  resolutely  toward  the  point  to  which 
all  true  Christian  men  are  now  looking,  deter- 
mined to  be  in  the  front  of  the  battle,  only  fear- 
ing that  it  would  be  "  over  and  done." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  accomplished  by 
that  kind  of  preaching,"  remarked  Mr.  Hunting, 
as  he  walked  home  from  church  that  Sabbath 
morning. 

Well,  perhaps  not. 

"  I,  too,  have  my  doubts  as  to  the  good  results 
of  that  sermon,"  responded  Mr.  Graham. 

So  had  Mr.  Hied ;  but  he  was  content  to  leave 
results  with  Him  whose  gospel  he  preached. 
And  could  Messrs.  Graham  and  Hunting,  and 
Mr.  Ried  himself,  have  heard  its  echoing  and  re- 
echoing in  the  hearts  and  voices  of  some  of  the 
congregation,  they  might  have  thought  differ- 
ently as  to  the  practical  results.  "For  thou 
knowest  not  whether  shall  prosper,  either  this  or 
that." 


CHAPTER    IX. 

GOING      FORWARD. 
1  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  go  forward." 


ROFESSOR  Graves  walked  up  Court 
street  at  a  quicker  pace  than  was  usual 
with  him.  After  the  close  of  the  afternoon  ses- 
sion he  had  sauntered  down  to  the  post-office, 
chatting  with  some  of  the  boys,  who  were  fond 
of  the  grave  man,  who  seemed  to  understand 
them,  sometimes  better  even  than  they  under- 
stood themselves.  The  evening  mail  brought 
him  a  letter  which  surprised  and  perplexed  him 
considerably,  and  now  he  was  hurrying  home  to 
consider  its  proposition.  It  ran  like  this : 
95 


96  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

DER  MISTER  PROFESSOR  GRAVES:  —  I've 
ben  thinkin'  as  how  sumthing  had  orter  to  be 
dun  down  here.  We  are  under  a  hevy  yok. 
From  the  winder  of  mi  hous  is  14  rum-shops.  I 
mean  places  where  the  wicked  stuff  is  sold  and 
delt  out  to  men,  women  and  children ;  and 
broils  and  fites  is  a  goin'  on  evry  uite.  Now  I 
want  sum  of  you  Christian  folks  up  there  in  the 
village  to  cum  down  here  and  help  pray  away 
the  curse.  I  read  as  how  the  women  out  in 
Ohio  drove  the  rum-sellers  all  out  with  their 
prayers,  and  I'se  been  praying  ever  since  ;  but 
it's  kinder  discouragin'  when  one  ignorant  woman 
is  fightin'  all  alone  agin  such  a  mighty  host.  I 
remember  as  how  David  went  out  alone  to  fight 
the  giant.  But  then,  you  know,  he  had  a  great 
army  behind  him,  and  I  kinder  thinks  that  sorter 
gin  him  courag.  My  man,  he's  the  wust  of  'em 
all ;  but  Satan  went  out  uv  him  the  other  night 
just  long  enuf  to  let  him  promis  that  I  mite  hav 
a  meetin'  here  — and  he  never  breaks  a  promis ; 
so  if  you  will  come,  I  promis  you  a  clean  floor 
and  a  bit  of  a  stool  to  sit  on.  I  hearn  as  how 
you  talked  good  like  in  the  boys'  meetin',  so  I 


Going  Forward.  97 

makes  bold  to  ask  you  to  cum  and  help  us  pray 
away  the  devil.  Next  Frida  nite,  at  Tim  Har- 
ley's.  Your  obejint  sarvent, 

MARY  HAELET. 

Taking  into  account  the  paper,  the  spelling 
and  the  penmanship,  with  the  style  of  composi- 
tion, this  was  altogether  the  most  unique  speci- 
men of  letter-writing  that  the  Professor  had  ever 
seen ;  but  he  scarcely  gave  these  details  a 
thought  just  then.  The  request  was  such  a 
strange  one  —  Tim  Harley's !  How  well  he 
knew  the  place  !  It  was  down  by  the  depot,  a 
little  around  the  corner.  Just  a  few  days  pre- 
vious he  had  been  called  to  a  neighboring  town 
upon  business,  and  returning  by  a  late  train  he 
swung  himself  from  the  platform,  and  by  way  of 
a  short  cut  passed  around  that  same  corner. 
From  one  of  the  miserable  tenement  houses  is- 
sued the  most  horrible,  brutal  profanity  he  had 
ever  heard  and  through  the  curtainless  window 
Professor  Graves  saw  a  sight  that  made  his 
blood  boil.  It  was  the  old,  oft-rehearsed  scene. 
The  drunken  husband  and  father,  bereft  of  every 
spark  of  reason,  making  a  brutal  attack  upon 


98  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

•wife  and  children  ;  and  the  Professor  hurried 
on,  not  caring  to  linger,  and  not  daring  to  enter 
alone  and  defenceless.  Hailing  a  policeman,  he 
was  told  that  "  it  was  nothing ;  that  thing  was 
always  going  on  ;  supposed  they  were  used  to 
it ;  ought  to  be  by  this  time."  And  that  man 
was  Tim  Harley — and  now  he  was  asked  to 
conduct  a  service  in  that  drunkard's  den  !  It 
was  a  presumptuous  idea.  Why,  his  life  would 
not  be  safe.  What  was  a  drunken  man's  prom- 
ise worth !  Of  course  he  could  not  think  of 
granting  Mrs.  Harley 's  request.  It  did  seem  as 
if  something  ought  to  be  done ;  but  how  and 
who?  Surely  not  himself.  Could  he  take  his 
nice  notions  of  propriety  and  decorum,  his  fas- 
tidious tastes  and  delicate  perceptions,  down  to 
that  Five  Points  of  this  young  city !  This  was 
not  the  way  he  put  it,  of  course ;  but  it  was, 
nevertheless,  true  that  Professor  Graves  had 
fastidious  tastes  and  fine  notions  about  many 
things.  Didn't  Mrs.  Lane,  with  whom  he  board- 
ed, know  that !  For  was  he  not  proud  of  his 
two  or  three  rare  pictures,  and  did  he  not  insist 
upon  certain  arrangements  in  his  room  which 
very  much  disturbed  that  lady,  all  so  that  those 


Going  Forward.  99 

pictures  might  hang  in  a  good  light?  And  did 
she  not  buy  a  bread-slicer  because  the  Professor 
one  day  smiled  at  the  unevenly  cut  slices  ?  and 
didn't  he  always  appear  in  shining  linen  and  broad- 
cloth upon  which  no  speck  of  dust  dared  rest.  Oh, 
the  Professor  was  very  particular,  and  very  fond 
of  order  and  system.  It  did  not  seem  possible 
that  he  could  be  called  upon  to  go  into  that 
dark,  dingy  quarter,  and  mix  with  those  miser- 
able wretches.  Finally  he  went  to  see  Mr.  Ried. 

"  Well,  Professor,"  said  the  pastor,  with  a 
gleam  of  light  in  his  face,  when  he  had  read  the 
queer  letter.  "  I  think  this  comes  in  answer  to 
my  prayer.  I  have  had  my  thoughts  directed 
toward  that  part  of  the  city  for  some  time,  and 
I  could  find  no  way  of  getting  in  there.  Now 
the  Lord  has  opened  the  door  —  " 

"  A  narrow  door,  I  must  say,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, a  little  gloomily. 

"  Even  a  crack  would  answer  to  put  in  a 
lever,"  returned  Mr.  Ried.  "  Now  I'll  tell  you 
what  to  do  ;  just  take  Mr.  Niles  and  two  or 
three  more  and  go  down  there.  Don't  open  a 
meeting  by  reading  a  chapter  of  the  Bible,  nor 
even  by  prayer,  or,  rather,  sing  a  prayer.  In 


100  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

fact  I  would  sing  most  of  the  praying.  There 
are  some  good  voices  among  these  people.  I 
heard  some  in  this  same  Harley's  shop  one  day. 
But  you'll  know  how  to  do  it.  It  shall  be  given 
you  what  to  say.  Shall  we  carry  the  matter  to 
the  Master,  and  ask  him  what  and  how?  " 

Still  Professor  Graves  doubted. 

"  I  do  not  see  my  way  clear  in  this,"  he  said. 

"I  suppose  that  was  about  what  Jonah  said," 
returned  Mr.  Ried,  "but  none  the  less  is  it  true 
that  he  was  sent  by  the  Lord.  My  dear  brother, 
I  think  we  do  not  often  see  the  way  clear  very 
far  ahead.  If  you  and  I  are  sure  that  it  is  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  that  should  suffice  for  us.  I 
suppose  that  we  might  all  do  more  and  better 
work  if  we  questioned  less." 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  said  Professor 
Graves.  "  We  profess  to  walk  by  faith,  yet  we 
are  very  anxious  to  take  long  strides  ahead. 
There  is  not  much  faith  about  it  when  we  are 
determined  to  see  things  for  ourselves." 

"  There  has  always  been  a  fascination  in  the 
story  of  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea,"  said  the 
Professor.  "  To  think  of  that  mighty  host  com- 
ing down  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  in  obe- 


Going  Forward.  101 

dience  to  the  command,  *  Go  forward,'  knowing 
not  how  God  was  to  work  their  salvation,  never- 
theless obeying  and  going  forward." 

"  And   will    every    brother   '  go   forward  ?  ' 
asked  the  pastor. 

"  Unquestioning  ! "  answered  the  Professor. 

This  was  the  close  of  a  long  conversation  full 
of  plans  and  suggestions,  and  now  the  Professor 
•went  out,  strengthened  for  his  work. 

It  might  have  been  a  month  later  when,  meet- 
ing Lydia  Elmer  at  his  brother's  house,  Professor 
Graves  said  : 

*'  Miss  Elmer  are  you  a  very  busy  woman  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  am,"  she  replied,  promptly. 

The  gentleman  looked  somewhat  doubtful, 
and  she  went  on. 

"  Why  shouldn't  I  be  a  busy  woman,  I'd  ask  ? 
Since  Rachel  opened  her  school  and  made  such  a 
hobby  of  it,  all  the  housekeeping  falls  upon  me, 
and,  besides,  I  have  to  help  bundle  up  the  little 
midgets  when  it  rains,  kiss  their  fingers  when 
they  come  in  half-frozen,  and  look  after  their  in- 
terests and  other  people's  affairs  generally." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Professor,  "  if  you  are  such 
a  busy  person,  you  are  exactly  the  one  to  lay 


102  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

more  work  upon.  The  people  who  have  leisure 
are  the  ones  who  will  not  part  with  it.  I'd 
never  ask  men  or  women  with  nothing  to  do 
to  break  in  upon  their  habit  of  do-nothingism  — 
but  those  who  are  just  overwhelmed  with  work 
are  the  very  ones  who  can  always  do  a  little 
more." 

"  But  what  are  you  coming  at  ?  "  said  Lydia, 
slightly  impatient. 

"  I'll  come  to  it  at  once,"  returned  the  gentle- 
man, "only  let  me  first  tell  how  my  idea  origi- 
nated," and  hereupon  he  proceeded  to  show  her 
his  remarkable  letter,  and  to  give  an  account  of 
his  work  in  that  uncongenial  quarter,  telling  of 
that  first  evening,  in  the  low,  dark  room  where 
Tim  Harley  lived ;  of  Tim  Harley  himself,  who, 
completely  overcome  by  liquor,  lay  in  the  corner, 
utterly  unconscious  that  hymns  were  being  sung 
and  prayers  being  offered.  There  were,  per- 
haps, a  dozen  persons  present  at  that  first  meet- 
ing. Since  then  they  have  been  down  every 
week,  and  he  was  growing  really  interested  ;  and 
now  for  his  scheme,  which  was  to  open  an  even- 
ing school.  Lydia  laughed  a  little  at  first,  and 
said  within  herself,  "  What  a  Quixotic  scheme ; " 


Going  Forward.  103 

but  as  he  unfolded  his  plans  she  grew  interested 
and  was  ready  to  promise  her  assistance. 

"  Of  course  we  need  some  teachers,"  he  went 
on.  "  Can  you  manage  to  give  two  evenings  a 
week  ?  Those  girls  need  to  be  taught  every- 
thing, I  should  judge." 

Of  course  Lydia  fell  in  with  his  ideas,  though 
she  kept  saying  to  herself,  "  What  an  absurd 
thing  to  do.  I  declare,  the  people  are  taking  up 
ideas.  I  believe  it  is  Mr.  Ried.  He  is  as  full  of 
new-fangled  notions  as  he  well  can  be."  A  va- 
cant room  in  the  neighborhood  having  been  se- 
cured, and  fitted  up  very  simply  and  roughly 
with  seats  and  desks,  the  evening  school  opened 
with  about;  twenty  girls  and  boys  as  pupils. 
And  such  a  time  as  there  was  trying  to  organize ! 
The  girls  were  given  over  into  Lydia  Elmer's 
care,  and  she  soon  found  that  it  was  true  —  they 
needed  to  be  taught  everything.  She  was  pre- 
pared with  basted  work,  and  as  soon  as  she  could 
bring  them  into  anything  like  order  she  gave 
them  a  sewing  lesson.  Such  a  motley  group  as 
they  were.  Some  had  made  very  commendable 
efforts  at  fixing  up  ;  others  came  in  all  their  filth 
and  rags,  but  there  they  were,  a  dozen  immortal 


104  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

souls,  with  just  this  one  opportunity  of  learning 
about  God  and  Leaven,  of  the  way  to  please  the 
one  and  gain  the  other.  When  Lydia  Elmer 
went  home  after  that  first  evening's  work  I 
think  she  felt  a  sense  of  responsibility,  such  as 
she  had  never  carried  before  ;  and  the  prayer 
she  offered  that  night  came  nearer  true  prayer 
than  any  she  had  uttered  for  years.  It  was  a 
pleading  for  a  measure  of  wisdom  to  be  given 
her  for  a  fitness  for  the  work. 

She  had  entered  upon  the  work  because  the 
Professor  had  inspired  her  with  some  of  his  own 
enthusiasm,  but  now  the  work  had  entered  into 
her,  had  awakened  her  so  thoroughly  that  she 
was  not  likely  to  sleep  again.  Life  was  never 
more  to  be  a  sameness  and  a  weariness  to  Lydia 
Elmer.  A  dozen  new  interests  had  sprung  into 
existence  in  the  persons  of  those  wild,  unre- 
strained girls.  For  the  advancement  of  their 
interests  she  labored  and  studied  and  prayed. 
Meanwhile  the  pastor,  in  his  study,  thanked  God 
that  one  by  one  his  people  were  coming  to  the 
front. 


CHAPTER   X. 

HELEN  GETS  AHEAD. 
'CHAEITT  StTFFEBETH  LONG,   AJTD  IS  KEO).' 


CAN  not  put  up  with  this  sort  of  man- 
agement much  longer !  " 
Mr.  Robert  Niles  spoke  more  excitedly  than 
accorded  with  his  usual  manner ;  evidently  some- 
thing exasperated  him  to  an  unusual  degree.    To 
his  mother's  softly  put  question  he  replied  in  a 
slightly  modified  voice  ;  people  were  apt  to  use 
a  softer  tone  when  conversing  with  Mrs.  Niles. 
"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  asked. 
"  Oh,  it  is  only  Ryle  ;     But  I  really  am  tried 
almost  beyond  endurance  ;  he  pays  no  sort  of  at- 

105 


106  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

tention  to  any  of  my  suggestions,  and  sets  at 
defiance  all  the  ordinary  rules  of  courtesy,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  terms  of  our  agreement." 

"  Why  do  you  not  expostulate  with  him  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Niles. 

"  Expostulate  !  As  if  I  had  not  done  that 
until  I  fairly  dread  to  speak  to  him  of  our  busi- 
ness relations." 

"  Why,  is  he  inclined  to  be  quarrelsome  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no  ;  he  is  either  provokingly  indifferent 
or  just  about  to  do  whatever  is  suggested  ;  then 
he  goes  off  and  does  nothing  at  all." 

"What  does  Mr.  Smith  say?"  asked  Mrs. 
Niles. 

"  That  is  the  worst  of  the  whole  business.  His 
patience  has  given  out,  and  he  declared  that 
if  Kyle  did  not  withdraw  he  would.  Of  course 
he  won't  do  that;  but  if  I  would  consent  he 
would  drive  Ryle  out  of  the  concern  before  to- 
morrow night." 

The  business  firm  of  "  Smith  &  Ryle "  had 
been  principally  "Smith"  until  Mr.  Robert  Niles 
o.ame  home  aud  threw  his  energies  and  consider- 
able money  into  the  concern,  which  was  now 
'•  Smith  &  Niles,"  Mr.  Ryle  having  by  some  un- 


Helen  Gets  Ahead.  107 

fortunate  private  speculation  exhausted  his  own 
means  as  well  as  some  of  his  partner's,  was  glad 
to  retire  to  a  subordinate  position  in  the  firm 
upon  the  admission  of  a  new  element  in  the  per- 
son of  Mr.  Niles.  Mr.  Ryle's  business  capacities 
might  have  been  good  but  for  one  unfortunate 
characteristic — a  want  of  diligent  application 
stamped  failure  upon  everything  he  undertook, 
and  it  was  this  fault  which  so  vexed  the  soul  of 
our  friend  Robert  Niles.  Just  now  the  spring 
elections  were  approaching,  and  Mr.  Ryle  was  a 
candidate  for  a  somewhat  lucrative  office  in  the 
gift  of  the  people,  and,  like  the  mass  of  office- 
seekers,  was  being  swallowed  in  a  vortex  of  po- 
litical scheming.  Business  suffered  even  more 
than  usual,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  the  patience  of 
both  senior  partners  had  given  out. 

Flora  Niles  had  listened  to  the  conversation  of 
her  mother  and  brother  for  some  time  without 
speaking,  until  Robert,  in  illustrating  his  causes 
of  vexation,  mentioned  some  rather  aggravating 
circumstances,  then  she  burst  out: 

"  I  declare  Rob,  I  would  not  put  up  with 
such  things!  It  is  a  perfect  shame!  I  just 


108  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

wonder  that  }^ou  will  let  things  go  on  so.  I 
know  I  wouldn't." 

Mrs.  Niles  smiled  at  the  outburst. 

"  My  little  girl  has  yet  to  learn  that  there  are 
better  ways  of  doing  things  than  just  throwing 
overboard  the  things  that  vex  us.  Sometimes 
it  may  be  our  duty  to  carry  our  burden  for  a 
time  ;  out  of  the  patient  bearing  of  a  burden  may 
grow  some  good  to  ourselves  or  others." 

"  But  people  can't  expect  other  folks  to  go 
dragging  them  through  the  world  while  they  pull 
the  other  way,  and  if  I  were  in  Bob's  place  I 
wouldn't  try  to  help  folks  that  won't  help  them- 
selves." 

"  But,  Flora,"  said  her  brother,  turning  to  look 
full  in  the  face  of  the  household  darling,  but  not 
like  the  mother,  smiling  at  the  indignant  pro- 
tests she  had  been  uttering  —  he  was  too  thor- 
oughly vexed  and  tried  to  smile  —  "  but,  Flora, 
what  would  he  do  ?  He  has  no  other  depend- 
ence." 

"  Well,  if  you  can  afford  to  do  his  work,  and 
your  own  too,  and  give  him  the  benefit  all  the 
same  as  if  he  did  it,  why,  go  ahead.  I've  no 
mere  breath  to  spare  in  commiseration." 


Helen   Gets  Ahead.  109 

Miss  Flora  turned  to  "  that  horrid  geometry  " 
with  an  air  that  said  :  "  There,  sir,  I  have  given 
you  my  best.  Don't  expect  anything  further 
from  me." 

Mr.  Niles  sat  looking  into  the  fire,  wearing  a 
perplexed  and  thoughtful  expression.  As  he 
rose  to  put  on  his  overcoat  before  going  to  the 
store,  he  said : 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  of  any  way  except  to  get 
clear  of  the  fellow  as  soon  as  we  can  without 
making  a  great  stir." 

Flora  looked  up  quickly,  and  her  face  betrayed 
just  a  gleam  of  the  thought,  "  Just  what  I  said." 

Matters  at  the  store  went  on  very  badly  all 
that  week.  The  senior  partner  growled  every 
time  he  met  Robert  Niles,  and  that  gentleman 
felt  himself  growing  desperate  over  the  way 
things  were  going,  or  rather  the  way  they  were 
not  going. 

Saturday  night,  with  its  promise  of  rest,  came 
as  a  welcome  respite,  and  with  his  vexations  put 
as  far  as  possible  from  him,  Mr.  Niles  went 
through  the  Sabbath  as  usual.  He  had  grown 
into  a  habit  of  wondering  what  Mr.  Hied  would 
have  for  him,  or  what  he  should  be  able  to  draw 


110  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

out  of  the  sermon  for  himself.  As  we  all  know, 
we  are  apt  to  find  what  we  look  for,  so  our  friend 
was  always  sure  of  his  lesson.  To-day  he  found 
it  in  these  words :  "  Charity  suffereth  long,  and 
is  kind."  The  lesson  of  brotherly  love  was 
pressed  home  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The 
question,  How  long  ought  we  to  suffer  evil  at 
the  hands  of  others,  and  how  far  ought  we  to  re- 
sist the  evil  that  others  would  do  unto  us  ?  was 
well  discussed,  and  it  is  certain  that  at  least  one 
man  who  listened  concluded  that  he  had  been 
wanting  in  that  charity  that  "  suffereth  long," 
and,  furthermore,  had  he  been  always  kind? 

Mr.  Ryle  was  his  brother  in  the  Church.  Was 
he  being  true  to  his  covenant  vows?  Ought  he 
not  to  bear  with  the  infirmities  of  the  weak  one  ? 
Who  would,  if  not  himself?  How  did  he  know 
but  that  his  own  example  of  steady,  persistent 
application  to  business  might  not  in  time  have 
its  effect  upon  the  weaker  brother?  Anyway, 
would  it  not  be  well  to  bear  a  little  longer  ? 

They  were  simple  thoughts  that  were  brought 
out  of  this  familiar  text,  illustrated  and  enforced 
by  the  teachings  and  example  of  Christ.  They 
did  not  startle  by  their  novelty,  but  by  their 


Helen  Gets  Ahead.  Ill 

very  simplicity  and  homeliness  reached  by  a 
direct  line  the  heart  which  sought  the  truth  — 
seeking  to  know  and  to  do  the  will  of  Christ. 

"  Well,  Flora,"  said  Robert,  as  the  two  walked 
home  together,  "  I  suppose  you  are  ready  with 
a  practical  application  of  the  sermon  ?  " 

"  Well,  guess  I'll  have  to  give  in,  as  they  say, 
on  the  Mr.  Ryle  question  ;  but,  to  tell  the  truth, 
Rob,  I  think  Mr.  Ried  does  hit  pretty  close.  I 
couldn't  help  wondering  if  he  could  know  of 
some  things  that  have  happened  at  school  lately. 
Of  course  he  couldn't ;  but  all  the  same  the  ser- 
mon fitted  closely." 

"  Did  it  ?  "  asked  the  brother,  smiling.  "  Tell 
me  about  it." 

"  Oh,  there  isn't  much  to  tell ;  only  Helen  and 
I  have  been  so  vexed  !  Helen  has  been  just 
as  kind  as  she  could  be  to  Jenny  Vosburgh,  and 

the  hateful "  Flora  caught  Robert's  look, 

and  checked  herself.  "  Well,  I  suppose  I  may 
say  she  has  been  treating  Helen  unkindly,  and  I 
have  tried  to  persuade  Helen  to  drop  her  en- 
tirely." 

"Well,"  said  Robert,  as  Flora  paused,  "sup- 


112  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

pose  you  should  drop  her,  as  you  call  it,  what  of 
it?" 

"  Why,  you  know  that  we  —  why,  Helen  and 
I  —  well,  Rob,  you  see  that  we  rather  lead  the 
rest." 

Again  Flora  caught  a  queer  look,  that  caused 
her  to  hesitate  and  flounder,  and  stop  altogether. 

Robert  laughed.  "  Charity  vaunteth  not  it- 
self," he  repeated. 

"  Oh,  you  do  catch  a  body  up  so,"  she  said, 
half  vexed. 

«« Well  ?  "  Robert  waited  for  the  rest  of 
Flora's  story,  but  it  did  not  seem  to  be  coming. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"  I  shan't  tell  you  any  more,"  she  answered. 
"  I  don't  approve  of  evil  speaking." 

Robert  did  not  mind  losing  the  rest,  knowing 
as  he  did  that  Flora  had  made  her  application  as 
well  as  himself. 

Helen  was  waiting  at  the  gate,  stopping  a 
moment  only  for  a  word  of  greeting.  Robert 
passed  on,  leaving  the  two  girls  together,  sus- 
pecting that  they  had  something  to  say  to  each 
other. 

Flora  swung   her  muff   by   the   chords,   and 


Helen  Gets  Ahead.  113 

"  wondered  if  it  would  raiii."  Helen  "  didn't 
know ;  she  hoped  not." 

Then  suddenly  Flora  said : 

"  What  about  Jenny  Vosburgh  ?  " 

"I  wonder  if  you've  been  thinking  about  her, 
too  ! "  said  Helen,  looking  up  with  a  beaming 
face. 

"Yes,  I  was  almost  sure  that  Mr.  Ried  knew 
about  things  at  school,"  returned  Flora.  "  Of 
course  he  didn't,  but  I  felt  the  hit  all  the  same." 

"  So  did  I."  Helen's  words  were  uttered  with 
a  touch  of  sorrow  in  them,  and  she  added: 
"  Flora,  we  must  be  more  patient  with  Jenny ; 
perhaps  we  may  win  her  love  even  yet.  As  for 
that,  I  never  cared  for  her  love  until  to-day." 

Flora  looked  a  little  surprised.  "  Well,"  she 
said,  "  you  have  got  farther  than  I  have  if  you 
have  got  to  that  point.  I  can't  say  that  I  am 
longing  for  Jenny  Vosburgh's  love.  She  isn't 
quite  to  my  taste,  but  I  do  feel  condemned  about 
her.  Of  course  you  and  I  ought  to  be  above 
minding  such  things." 

Here  Flora  caught  a  look  on  Helen's  face  that 
brought  back  Robert's  slowly  repeated  sentence, 
"  Charity  vaunteth  not  itself." 


114  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Then  we  will  not  object  to  her  joining  the 
Club  ?  "  asked  Helen. 

"  I  can't,  after  this  morning,"  returned  Flora. 

Half  an  hour  later  Flora  met  her  brother  at 
the  dinner-table. 

"  Did  you  and  Helen  fix  it  ?  "  he  asked  with 
a  meaning  smile. 

"  Yes,  we  did,"  she  answered,  "  only  Helen 
has  reached  out  way  beyond  me  in  her  applica- 
tion." 

"  May  I  ask  how  ?  "  said  Robert. 

"  She  has  gone  to  the  '  hopeth  all  things.' " 

"  What  conclusion  have  you  come  to  with  re- 
gard to  Mr.  Ryle  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Niles  that  Mon- 
day morning. 

*'  Just  this,"  was  the  reply,  "  to  suffer  longer 
and  hope  for  improvement,  though  my  resolve 
to  suffer  is  stronger  than  my  *  hope  '  of  a  change 
for  the  better." 

"I  advise  you  to  go  and  talk  with  Helen," 
said  Flora  saucily.  "She  is  way  ahead  of  you 
in  that  direction,  though  1  urn  sure  I  don't  know 
how  she  got  there." 

"  Helen  is  growing,"  said  Mrs.  Niles,  signifi- 
cantly. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


SEVERAL  SURPRISED  PEOPLE. 

"Not  slothful  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the 
Lord."     "  The  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich." 

Ml 


HEN  Mr.  Niles  reached   the   store  that 
morning  he  found  Mr.  Ryle  at  his  post. 
This  was  quite  unusual,  at  least  of  late.     How- 
ever, he  betrayed  nothing  of  his  suprise,  unless 
it  betrayed  itself  in  the  hearty  "  good-morning  " 
with  which  he  greeted  him,  adding : 
"  You've  the  start  of  me  this  morning." 
"  Well,  yes,  a  little.     I  thought  I  would  get 
these  papers  righted  and  send  some  letters  off 
by  the  early  mail." 

"All  right,"  answered  Robert,  cheerily.    "And 

"5 


116  Echoing  and  Re-eclioing. 

another  thing,  aren't  we  nearly  out  of  bill- 
heads?" 

"  Yes.  I'll  attend  to  that  as  I  go  to  the  ex- 
press-office. You  remember  "  (this  last  in  reply 
to  a  look  of  inquiry)  "  those  packages  of  Allen's  ; 
are  they  to  go  this  morning  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  !  I  had  forgotten  that  I  "  And 
for  a  moment  Robert  Niles  felt  as  if  he  had 
changed  places  with  Mr.  Ryle.  But,  recovering 
himself,  he  continued :  "  And  while  you  are 
about  it,  wouldn't  it  be  well  to  have  some  letter- 
heads printed  ?  " 

"  I  think  so ;  and  how  would  this  do  for  the 
form  ?  "  pushing  a  sheet  of  paper  toward  Robert 
as  he  spoke. 

"  That  is  good,"  was  replied.  Then  Mr.  Niles 
walked  on  to  his  own  desk,  but  presently  he  re- 
turned. 

"  What  about  that  business  of  Shepherd's  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Oh,  that  is  all  right ;  I  saw  Shepherd  this 
morning,  and  he  said  return  the  goods,  so  I  sent 
Tom  over  at  once  for  fear  he  would  change  his 
mind." 

Mr.  Niles  once  more  walked  down  the  length 


Several  Surprised  People.  117 

of  the  store,  this  time  in  an  utterly  bewildered 
state  of  mind.  What  had  come  over  Mr.  Ryle  ? 
At  this  rate  the  patience  and  long-suffering  in 
which  he  had  schooled  himself  would  not  be 
brought  into  use.  Perhaps  he  was  disappointed 
and  half  vexed  that  he  had  been  deprived  of  the 
opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  self-denial. 

He  waited  for  the  arrival  of  the  senior  partner, 
and  most  thoroughly  enjoyed  that  gentleman's 
look  of  surprise  at  seeing  Mr.  Ryle  busy  at  work 
at  that  hour.  Then  something  prompted  him  to 
make  another  suggestion  ;  perhaps  he  was  de- 
sirous of  rinding  out  just  how  wide  a  range  Mr. 
Ryle's  newly-developed  interest  in  business  had 
taken.  Anyway,  as  Mr.  Ryle  came  in,  after  at- 
tending to  the  business  already  planned,  Robert 
said: 

"  I  suppose  we  ought  to  attend  to  the-  renewal 
of  that  policy  in  the  Grand  Company." 

"  Yes,"  was  the  prompt  reply ;  "  I  have  thought 
of  that,  and  just  now  as  I  came  up  I  met  the 
agent,  and  made  an  arrangement  to  meet  him  at 
the  office  this  afternoon.  I  wanted  to  consult 
you  about  it ;  I  think  there  should  be  a  reduc- 


118  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

tion  of  premium ;    the   risk  is   much  lessened 
since  the  date  of  the  old  policy. 

Robert  Niles  was  never  more  astonished  in 
his  life.  But  this  was  not  the  end;  it  seemed 
to  be  a  day  of  marvels,  all  tending  in  one  direc- 
tion. Just  before  noon  one  of  Mr.  Kyle's  politi- 
cal friends  came  in.  He  entered  into  conversa- 
tion with  him,  and  presently  Mr.  Ryle  was 
heard  to  say : 

"  I  can't  go  to-day." 

"  But  the  matter  is  urgent." 

"So  is  business,"  returned  Mr.  Ryle. 

"  But  this  is  business,"  said  the  other. 

"  Well,  it's  not  like  business  that  one  is 
pledged  to." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  the  friend. 
"  Seems  to  me  you  are  pledged  to  this." 

"  I  do  not  consider  that  I  am,"  said  Mr.  Ryle. 
"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  have  done  more  of  that  sort 
of  thing  in  the  past  than  I  mean  to  in  the  future." 

"  Well,"  said  the  gentleman,  "  if  you  back 
down  in  this  way  you  may  expect  to  lose  the 
election." 

"  Very  true  ;  I  may  lose  it,  as  you  say ;  and  of 
course  I  shall  regret  it ;  but  it  will  be  more  on 


Several  Surprised  People.  119 

account  of  your  disappointment  than  because  of 
my  own  loss.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  matter  of 
my  success  has  diminished  in  importance  within 
twenty-four  hours." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  the  friend, 
puzzled  and  half  angry. 

Mr.  Kyle  hesitated. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  said,  "  that  I  can  explain 
myself  very  clearly." 

"  I  should  judge  not,"  said  the  other. 

"  Well,  my  friend,  you  see  it  has  come  to  seem 
to  me  like  this:  Here's  my  regular  business, 
something  that  is  permanent  and  reliable,  and  I 
have  no  right  to  take  my  time  out  of  the  busi- 
ness any  more  than  as  if  it  were  so  much  money." 

"  But,"  urged  his  friend,  "  it  is  very  near  the 
election  now,  and  these  last  few  days  may  turn 
the  scale  if  we  are  active." 

"  It's  of  no  use  to  urge  me,"  said  Mr.  Ryle. 
"  I  have  not  time  to  spare  for  any  more  campaign 
work." 

"  Of  course  you  will  do  as  you  think  proper," 
said  the  other,  coldly.  "  But  it  seems  hardly 
fair  to  your  political  friends  to  back  down  in  this 
fashion." 


120  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  I'm  not  backing  down,"  replied  Mr.  Ryle. 
"  I  simply  say  that  I  do  not  mean  to  neglect  my 
regular  work  for  the  sake  of  trying  to  influence 
men  who  do  not  know  their  own  minds." 

"  But  suppose  you  should  be  elected  after  all, 
what  about  your  business  in  that  case  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  should  have  to  make  some  ar- 
rangements to  meet  the  necessity.  But  that 
would  be  very  different." 

"  Well,  I  must  say  that  this  is  an  unheard  of 
way  of  conducting  a  campaign  !  But  if  this  is 
to  be  your  course  I  must  bid  you  good-morning." 

Mr.  Ryle  resumed  his  pen,  a  perplexed  ex- 
pression rested  upon  his  face,  and  he  worked 
nervously.  Mr.  Niles  had  been  a  curious  spec- 
tator during  this  interview,  and  was  surprised  as 
well  as  relieved  to  see  the  visitor  depart  alone. 
Had  he  been  present  at  Mrs.  Ryle's  tea-table 
that  evening  his  astonishment  must  have  been 
augmented. 

That  little  lady  was  a  model  housekeeper  ;  all 
the  appointments  of  the  house  were  in  excellent 
taste,  and  surely  an  indulgent  husband  and  father 
would  find  it  hard  to  denj'-  any  reasonable  re- 


Several  Surprised  People.  121 

quest,  when  so  much  pains  was  taken  to  make 
home  a  comfortable  and  happy  resting-place. 

As  Mrs.  Ryle  passed  the  puffy  biscuit  the 
second  time  she  remarked  : 

"  Laura  was  in  a  little  while  ago  to  see  if  we 
would  go  to  the  entertainment  to-night." 

Mr.  Ryle  did  not  reply  immediately,  and  his 
wife  continued: 

"  I  told  her  I  would  send  word  round  after 
tea." 

Still  Mr.  Ryle  was  silent.  He  was  not  often 
guilty  of  such  a  piece  of  rudeness.  Mrs.  Ryle 
looked  her  astonishment. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  this  time  just  a  trifle  of  im- 
patience giving  a  spirit  to  her  words  that  was 
not  unbecoming,  so  her  husband  thought,  as  he 
smiled  back  her  answer  to  her  — "  Well,  what 
word  shall  I  send  ?  I'm  not  so  very  anxious  to 
go,  but  some  answer  must  be  sent." 

Now,  this  meant  that  she  had  been  very  anx- 
ious to  go  with  her  friends  until  that  moment 
when  her  husband's  manner  had  discouraged 
her. 

Mr.  Ryle  understood   this  perfectly,  and  he 


122  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

sought  to  make  amends  for  his  fault  in  not  re- 
plying sooner. 

u  Well,  Anna,  I  would  like  to  go,  but  I  do  not 
think  I  can  get  away  from  the  store  this  evening. 
How  would  it  do  if  you  were  to  go  with  Laura 
and  her  husband?" 

"  Thank  you,  but  I'm  not  in  the  habit  of  going 
out  with  other  people's  husbands." 

It  must  be  confessed  that  Mrs.  Kyle's  reply 
was  somewhat  tart,  and  as  she  was  usually  of  a 
sweet  and  sunny  temper,  this  sharpness  was  the 
more  conspicuous. 

"  Perhaps  I  could  come  round  later,"  said  her 
husband,  mildly. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  don't  care  to  go  without  you." 

"  I'm  sorry  to  have  you  miss  it,  but,  really, 
Anna,  we  are  very  much  hurried  just  now  at  the 
store." 

"  It's  no  matter,"  returned  the  lady,  "  but  this 
hurry  has  come  on  very  suddenly,  has  it  not  ?  " 

There  was  a  bit  of  sarcasm  in  this  remark 
which  Mr.  Ryle  could  not  but  feel,  remembering 
how  few  evenings  he  had  spent  at  the  store  of 
late." 

"  Well,"  my  dear,  he  said,  "  I  shall  have  to 


Several  Surprised  People.  123 

/ 

confess  that  I  have  been  rather  negligent  of 
late,  and  now  I  shall  have  to  make  up  for  it." 

Now,  no  one  could  have  wondered  at,  or 
blamed  Mrs.  Ryle  if  she  had  suggested  that  his 
conscientious  scruples  came  at  a  very  inconvenient 
time.  It  was  queer  that  when  she  asked  such 
an  unusual  favor  as  an  evening's  pleasure  to- 
gether he  should  plead  business  as  an  excuse, 
when  she  very  well  knew  that  he  had  been  going 
hither  and  thither  almost  every  evening  for 
weeks,  seemingly  without  a  thought  of  the  inter- 
ference of  business.  But,  growing  ashamed  of 
her  momentary  ill-humor,  to  her  credit  be  it  told, 
she  held  her  peace. 

Two  or  three  days  passed  before  Mr.  Niles 
ceased  to  be  surprised  at  Mr.  Ryle's  regular  at- 
tention to  business.  Every  morning  he  said  to 
himself,  "  I  wonder  how  long  it  will  last  ?  " 

Every  time  any  of  Mr.  Ryle's  intimates  came 
in  he  fully  expected  to  see  them  walking  off 
with  their  captive,  but  after  a  while  it  came  to 
be  quite  a  matter  of  course  that  the  two  young 
men  should  meet  at  an  early  hour  and  work  to- 
gether through  the  day.  Then,  after  a  time,  a 


124  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

friendship   sprung  up  between  them  which  wa3 
valuable  to  both. 

Now,  we  must  go  back  to  that  Sabbath  even 
ing  when  Robert  Niles  made  such  heroic  re- 
solves to  bear,  to  suffer  long,  and  to  be  kind  — 
resolves  which,  while  they  did  him  good  in  the 
making  by  awakening  thoughts  that  never  slum- 
bered again,  he  was  never  called  to  put  into  use. 
In  regard  to  Mr.  Ryle,  the  change  in  that  gen- 
tleman's habits  seemed  to  be  radical ;  and  Robert 
often  wondered  how  it  came  about.  And  as  for 
Mr.  Smith,  the  senior  partner,  his  occupation 
was  gone  ;  he  had  nothing  to  fret  about.  The 
two  young  members  of  the  firm  kept  everything 
in  such  excellent  order  that  there  was  not  room 
for  the  shadow  of  a  criticism. 

I  think  that  I  didn't  mention  that  Mr.  Niles 
thought  himself  into  a  severe  headache,  and  did 
not  go  to  church  that  Sabbath  evening.  Perhaps 
some  things  which  mystified  him  would  have 
been  less  puzzling  had  he  listened  to  Mr.  Ried's 
evening  sermon.  Yet,  as  he  was  not  one  of 
those  people  who  are  given  to  fitting  the  sermon 
to  other  folks,  it  may  be  that  he  would  have 
been  no  wiser  had  he  been  there. 


Several  Surprised  People.  125 

But  what  was  more  to  the  point,  Mr.  Ryle  was 
there,  and  fitted  the  sermon  to  himself.  Mr. 
Kied  chose  for  his  text  the  words  which  I  have 
set  at  the  head  of  this  chapter.  He  aimed  to 
show  that  a  diligent  attention  to  one's  business 
was  a  Christian  duty.  Said  he  :  "  In  the  divine 
ordering  of  things  it  becomes  necessary  for  a  man 
to  spend  a  large  proportion  of  his  time  and 
strength  in  providing  for  the  needs  of  the  body. 
And  while  we  are  exhorted  not  to  be  unduly 
anxious  about  the  things  that  pertain  especially  to 
this  life,  we  are  constantly  enjoined  to  be  dili- 
gent, and  warned  against  slothfulness.  How 
shall  we  '  provide  ;ill  things  honest  ? '  How 
shall  we  *  distribute  to  the  necessity  of  saints,  or 
be  given  to  hospitality  ?  '  How  shall  we  '  pay 
tribute,' or 'render  to  all  their  dues,' unless  we 
do  with  might  and  energy  the  things  set  to  us  ? 
Do  not  the  very  words  of  the  sayings  of  Christ 
imply  much  in  this  connection  ?  Does  not  the 
text,  '  we  live  not  by  bread  alone,'  prove  that 
while  bread  is  not  sufficient  it  is  indispensable." 

Mr.  Ried  found  plenty  of  Scripture  to  bear 
him  out  in  his  assertion  that  a  man  slothful  in 
business  could  never  prosper ;  that  there  is  no 


126  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

such  thing  as  a  lazy  Christian  ;  the  two  words 
do  not  fit  together ;  they  have  no  connection. 
There  were  some  plain  home-thrusts  which  Mr. 
Ryle  felt  keenly ;  and  yet  they  were  put  forth 
with  such  evident  good  nature  and  friendliness 
that  there  was  no  way  but  to  take  them  home 
and  see  if  they  could  be  made  useful ;  at  least 
this  is  what  Mr.  Ryle  concluded  to  do.  I  am 
not  sure  of  that  last.  I  suspect  that  the  thoughts 
advanced  followed  him  home.  Anyway,  I  am 
certain  that  they  staid  with  him  and  worked  out 
the  man's  salvation. 

And,  what  if  he  did  lose  the  election  ?  As 
he  came  to  see  more  clearly  he  thanked  God 
for  the  failure.  And,  by  and  by,  when  he  had 
grown  stronger  and  become  a  power  in  the 
world  and  in  the  church,  people  said,  "How 
that  man  is  changed  ?  "  and  wondered  as  to  the 
cause. 

And,  yet,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  drove  home 
from  the  Sabbath  evening  service,  that  was 
fraught  with  such  results,  the  good  man  said, 
with  sadness  in  his  tones,  "  It  is  all  very  true, 
but  I  can't  think  why  Mr.  Ried  should  feel  called 
upon  to  preach  such  sermons,  when  there  are  so 


Several  Surprised  People.  127 

many  in  our  congregation  who  are  still  uncon- 
verted ?  " 

"  Yes,"  responded  Mrs.  Bates,  and  her  tones 
were,  if  possible,  more  sad  than  her  husband's. 
"  Now  if,  to-night,  he  had  only  preached  a  stirring 
sermon  to  the  undecided,  or  something  calculated 
to  arouse  the  thoughtless  ?  " 

Well,  what  if  he  had  ? 


CHAPTER    XII. 
HELEN'S    PKONOTTFS. 

"  SEEKETH  NOT  HEB  OWIT  " 


ELL,  I  must  say  that  Mr.  Ried  is  making 
a  close  thing  of  that  thirteenth  chapter 
of  1st  Corinthians."  This  was  what  Mr.  Bates 
said,  and  what  others  thought,  after  several  prac- 
tical lessons  had  been  drawn  from  the  words  of 
the  apostle.  "  I  don't  quite  understand  our  pas- 
tor," he  continued.  "  Now  I  have  been  looking 
forward  to  this  time  with  great  hopes  of  a  revival 
in  our  church,  and  it  does  seem  as  if  we  needed 
a  different  sort  of  preaching." 

"Now,  Mr.  Bates,"  said  Miss  Elmer,  "do  you 
128 


Helen's  Pronouns.  129 

mean  to  say  that  there  was  no  religion  in  that 
sermon  ?  " 

Mr.  Bates  looked  at  his  neighbor  rather  cu- 
riously. There  was  always  something  behind 
Miss  Elmer's  questions,  as  Mr.  Bates  had  come 
to  know,  and  he  had  also  learned  to  be  cautious 
in  his  replies.  However,  he  thought  it  safe  to 
say: 

"Why,  certainly  not j  I  would  by  no  means 
convey  such  an  idea.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the 
best  kind  of  religion,  practical  and  quite  in  keep- 
ing with  the  teachings  of  Christ  himself;  but 
what  I  am  anxious  about  is  to  have  the  truths 
of  the  gospel  sei  before  the  unconverted  in  a 
manner  calculated  to  awaken." 

"  I  think  I  understand  you,  Mr.  Bates,"  replied 
Miss  Elmer,  "but  you  will,  I  presume,  admit 
that  we  need  to  improve  in  the  practice  of  these 
Christian  graces  which  have  lately  been  set  be- 
fore us  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  I  am  well  aware  that  we  are,  as  a 
church,  quite  remiss  in  many  of  these  duties.  I 
don't  mean  either  to  make  the  church  carry  my 
individual  shortcomings,  so  I  will  acknowledge 
that  I  have  more  than  once  of  late  felt  the  close- 


130  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

ness  of  Mr.  Ried's  remarks.  Now  just  one  ques- 
tion more :  which  will  seem  likely  to  be  the 
more  successful  method,  that  of  leaving  the 
church  to  go  on  careless  of  these  things  while 
our  pastor  tries  to  convince  the  world's  people 
that  this  religion  which  we  exemplify  so  care- 
lessly is  very  important  to  them  ;  or,  that  of 
bringing  the  church  up  to  a  higher  standard  of 
Christian  action,  teaching  those  of  us  who  have 
already  believed  how  to  carry  out  into  every- 
day living  the  truths  we  have  accepted,  thereby 
fitting  the  church  for  the  work  whenever  the 
Spirit  may  visit  us.  As  I  understand  the  matter 
of  which  you  speak,  a  revival  of  religion  must 
be  where  there  is  religion  to  revive ;  the  revival 
must  be  in  the  church,  though  when  once  we 
are  revived  we  may  hope  for  a  great  ingathering. 
So  you  see  that  I  do  not  perceive  that  Mr.  Ried's 
present  selection  of  topics  is  untimely." 

"  Nor  I  either,"  said  Mrs.  Graves ;  "  for  my 
part,  I  like  these  practical  sermons,  those  that 
come  right  into  the  life.  I  don't  think  I  appre- 
ciate what  you  call  doctrinal  preaching,  but  the 
doctrine  of  daily  duties  I  can  understand.  For 
instance,  when  Mr.  Ried  says, '  Clara,  you  ought 


Helen's  Pronouns.  131 

not  to  fret  when  the  bread  sours,  for  either  it  is 
your  own  fault,  or  one  of  those  light  afflictions 
that  are  needful  in  the  way  of  discipline.' ' 

"  Or  when  he  tells  you,  as  he  did  yesterday, 
that  you  make  too  frequent  use  of  the  pronoun 
'  V  "  suggested  Mr.  Graves,  mischievously. 

"  Yes,  that  too,"  returned  Mrs.  Graves,  em- 
phatically ;  "  but  I  could  fit  that  part  to  other 
people,"  she  added. 

"  No  doubt ;  I  believe  that  you  ladies  have  the 
knack  of  fitting  things  and  people,"  returned 
her  husband,  still  teasingly. 

"  Well,"  said  Miss  Elmer,  "  it  seems  to  me 
that  we  may  all  find  something  to  take  to  our- 
selves if  we  search  for  it." 

"  Yes,  yes,  no  doubt,"  said  Mr.  Bates,  "  only, 
—  well,  couldn't  we  old  Christians  get  on  awhile 
without  attention,  while  the  unconverted  have 
the  truth  brought  home  to  them  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Bates,  isn't  there  to  be  a  business  meet- 
ing of  the  church  to-morrow  evening  ?  "  It  was 
Lydia  Elmer  who  asked  this  question,  with  a 
mischievous  gleam  in  her  eyes. 

The  Elmers,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graves,  were 
spending  the  evening  at  Mr.  Bates'.  Rachel 


132  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Elmer  and  their  host  had  fallen  into  a  somewhat 
sober  talk,  with  which  the  others  were  constant- 
ly interfering  in  a  merry  way,  though  with 
meaning  behind  their  lively  talk.  They  all  un- 
derstood Lydia's  allusion  to  the  business  meet- 
ing, and  Mr.  Bates  laughed  good-naturedly, 
though  it  was  a  home  thrust. 

In  his  sermon  from  the  text  quoted  above,  Mr. 
Hied  had,  in  pointing  out  the  ways  in  which 
Christians  sometimes  seek  their  own^  referred  to 
the  fact  that  in  the  secular  matters  of  the  church 
it  too  often  happens  that  there  are  those  who 
are  unduly  tenacious  of  their  own  opinions  and 
plans.  Now,  Mr.  Bates,  with  many  remarkably 
good  qualities,  had  this  peculiarity.  He  was 
very  firm  in  his  convictions  that  his  own  plans 
were  the  best  that  could  be  brought  forward  ; 
and,  inasmuch  as  he  had  very  carefully  thought 
out  and  thoroughly  worked  up  all  the  details  of 
a  plan  for  the  settlement  of  the  matter  that  was 
to  come  before  the  church  at  the  business  meet- 
ing referred  to,  this  thrust  of  Lydia's  was  sharper 
than  Lydia  herself  suspected. 

"  I  dread  the  meeting  to-night,"  said  Robert 


Helen's  Pronouns.  133 

Niles,  the  next  morning,  speaking  to  his 
mother. 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  afraid  that  there  will  be  a  stormy 
time  ;  there  is  sure  to  be  so  many  conflicting 
opinions  about  the  matters  to  be  discussed,  and 
of  course  somebody  will  be  hurt." 

"  I  can  not  see  any  necessity  for  that  conclu- 
sion," replied  Mrs.  Niles. 

"  Why,  somebody's  plans  will  have  to  be  set 
aside  —  they  will  all  be  sure  to  have  one." 

"  And  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Niles'  tone  was  peculiar,  and  her  son 
understood  it.  He  smiled  in  appreciation  as  he 
replied: 

"  Well,  of  course  I  have  my  own  ideas  about 
it,  and  I  confess  I  can  see  but  one  way  out  of 
the  difficulty." 

"  So  I  supposed." 

"  Well,  mother,  I  don't  mean  to  be  obstinate 
in  adhering  to  my  own  views,  but  being  fully 
convinced  as  I  am  —  " 

"  As  Mr.  Bates  is,  and  as  Mr.  Crawford  is,  and 
Professor  Graves  may  be,  and  a  dozen  more,  each 
in  their  own  way,  what  then?  " 


134  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  can't  all  be  right,"  said 
Robert,  still  —  " 

"  Seeketh  not  her  own,"  quoted  Flora,  not 
looking  up  from  her  algebra. 

That  business  meeting  was  without  a  prece- 
dent in  the  whole  history  of  the  Court  Street 
Church.  The  matters  were  important,  and  there 
was  no  lack  of  interest,  and  no  lack  of  sugges- 
tions; bub  what  had  become  of  the  tenacity 
with  which  such  men  as  Mr.  Bates  usually  held 
their  views?  What  had  become  of  Robert 
Niles'  convictions  ?  Were  they  all  swallowed  up 
in  that  love  "that  seeketh  not  her  own ? "  The 
seeming  willingness  to  give  the  preference  to 
others  that  prevailed  in  the  meeting  gave  courage 
to  one  who  generally  kept  his  opinions  in  the 
back-ground.  Old  Mr.  Bradley  was  an  unpre- 
tending man,  plain  in  manner  and  homely  in 
speech,  \vho,  though  an  officer  in  the  church, 
seldom  advanced  any  plans  in  a  meeting  like  the 
present.  He  was  too  modest  to  push  his  ideas 
and  too  sensitive  to  risk  being  utterly  ignored ; 
but  to-night  there  seemed  to  be  a  chance  for 
him,  and  as  he  thought  he  discovered  a  fallacy 
in  the  reasoning  of  those  who  had  taken  a  part 


Helens  Pronouns.  135 

in  the  discussion,  the  old  man  laid  before  his 
brethren  his  views.  Actually  there  had  been 
times  when  some  of  those  Christian  men,  over- 
come by  their  excited  feelings,  would  have 
talked  down  their  good  Bro.  Bradley  ;  he  was 
so  old-fashioned  in  his  ideas,  they  said. 

But  to-night,  actuated  by  a  sentiment  that 
•was  new,  to  some  of  them,  at  least  (experiment- 
ally new),  they  listened  with  deference,  even 
interest,  to  the  unfolding  of  the  propositions  of 
this  unpopular  brother ;  and  then,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  everybodj',  himself  included,  Mr.  Bates 
moved  that  the  plan  proposed  by  Bro.  Bradley  be 
adopted. 

That  night  Mr.  Ried  wrote  a  long  letter  to  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Sayles,  from  which  I  will  copy  a  few 
sentences : 

"  And  now,  dear  Abbie,  I  think  I  may  say  I 
see  signs  of  better  things.  My  people  seem  to 
be  awakening  to  a  sense  of  the  importance  of 
being  religious,  not  only  on  the  Sabbath  and  at 
the  family  altar  or  prayer-meeting,  but  always 
and  everywhere.  There  is  an  increased  atten- 
tion, at  least  so  it  seems  to  me,  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  Christian  graces,  and  a  growing  interest 


186  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

that  prompts  to  the  setting  of  one's  self  to  the 
work  j  for  the  making  of  sacrifices  for  the  truth's 
sake ;  and  there  may  be  observed  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  more  thoughtful  ones  a  desire  for 
higher  attainments,  a  diligent  seeking  to  know 
more  of  the  truth.  These  indications  encourage 
and  lead  me  to  look  for  the  presence  of  the  Spirit 
in  greater  power. 

"  There  are  several  of  our  younger  friends  here 
whom  I  should  like  to  have  you  know.  The 
sister  of  the  young  Mr.  Niles  reminds  me  of  my 
little  sister  Abbie  as  she  was  at  sixteen ;  that  is 
all  I  need  say  of  my  interest  in  her ;  and  her 
chosen  friend,  Helen  Betson,  is  a  girl  of  great 
promise.  I  am  looking  to  see  both  of  these 
coming  forward  to  unite  with  us  ;  they  will  be 
great  additions  to  the  future  working  force  of 
our  church. 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  would  be  interested  in  the 
work  that  is  going  on  at  our  "  Harley  Mission," 
as  we  have  come  to  call  it.  Souls  are  being 
saved  down  there  — saved  from  sin  and  degrada- 
tion in  this  life — saved  through  Christ's  blood 
for  the  life  to  come.  It  was  a  most  unpromising 
£eld,  but  Professor  Graves,  with  two  or  three 


Helen's  Pronouns.  137 

helpers,  have  done  nobly  in  facing  the  difficul- 
ties and  overcoming  them,  or  making  them  work 
in  for  the  furtherance  of  their  efforts.  And  is 
there  not  a  great  deal  in  that  sometimes,  the 
forcing  of  unfavorable  circumstances  into  your 
own  line  of  planning,  or  making  your  plans  so 
that  the  hindrances  may  become  helps  ? 

"  There  is  a  young  couple  living  a  mile  or  two 
out  of  town  in  whom  I  am  much  interested  — 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graves.  The  lady  is  a  member  of 
our  church,  but  her  husband  is  not ;  indeed,  he 
has  been  something  of  a  scoffer.  When  I  first 
came  here  they  came  quite  regularly  to  church  on 
Sabbath  morning,  always  going  home  before  Sun- 
day-school, and  not  returning  to  evening  service. 
But  of  late  they  are  always  down  for  the  second 
service,  and  Mrs.  Graves  frequently  comes  in 
for  the  prayer-meeting  Thursday  evening.  Once 
or  twice  her  husband  has  come  after  her  a  few  min- 
utes before  the  meeting  closed,  and  has  taken  a 
seat  by  her  side.  It  would  have  done  you  good 
to  have  seen  her  face  light  up  the  first  time  that 
occurred.  I  fancy  that  this  lady's  conscience 
having  been  aroused,  by  what  means  I  know 
not,  and  a  more  consistent  living  following,  her 


138  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

husband  has  been  brought  to  wonder  at  and  at 
length  respect  that  which  he  had  heretofore  only 
scoffed  at.  And  so  much  being  accomplished, 
may  we  not  hope  that  he  may  come  into  the  full 
light  of  the  truth  ? 

"  Pray  for  us,  Abbie,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may 
be  with  us  continually." 

Meantime  Helen  Betsou  had  been  having  her 
thoughts.  Now,  our  friend  Helen  had  one  prom- 
inent fault ;  this  must  be  confessed,  and  I  do  ifc 
with  reluctance,  as  she  is  a  great  favorite  of 
mine.  Helen  would  persist  in  talking  a  great 
deal :  as  Tom  said,  "  she  wanted  to  be  heard." 
Now  Tom  was  very  fond  of  his  sister,  but  he 
liked  to  tease  her,  and  used  to  say  provok- 
ingly : 

"  There  now,  we'll  listen  to  the  lady  Helen, 
while  she  gives  the  pronoun  '  I '  an  airing." 

No  doubt  it  was  very  foolish  of  Helen  to  get 
angry  over  Tom's  good-natured  teasing,  but  the 
truth  is  she  used  to  be  very  much  vexed.  I  do 
not  suppose  she  realized  at  all  how  disagreeable 
the  habit  was,  and  certainly  she  had  no  thought 
that  there  could  be  anything  in  the  Bible  which 
could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  that  fault  j  there- 


Helenas  Pronouns.  139 

fore  she  was  considerably  startled  to  hear  Mr. 
Ried  say  that  too  frequent  use  of  the  pronouns 
"1  "  and  "  my  "  or  "  mine  "  might  be  counted  as 
a  sin  ;  that  it  is  a  seeking  of  one's  own  that  is 
not  a  characteristic  of  that  charity  which  is  an 
essential  element  of  the  Christian  character ; 
that  a  monopoly  of  the  conversation  and  the  os- 
tentatious spreading  out  of  one's  plans,  as  well  as 
the  persistent  pushing  foward  the  same  —  these 
were  all  in  some  sort  a  seeking  of  one's  own. 
These  were  new  thoughts  to  Helen,  and  she  took 
them  home  with  her.  Indeed,  Tom  was  not 
likely  to  let  so  good  an  opportunity  for  teasing 
Helen  pass  unimproved,  so  that,  with  his  recalling 
of  it  and  the  application  which  her  own  con- 
science made,  she  was  not  in  danger  of  losing  the 
lesson. 

"  That  is  the  sixth  time  Helen  has  started  out 
with  '  I,'  and  then  broken  off  short,"  said  Tom, 
as  they  sat  at  the  breakfast-table  the  next  morn- 
ing. "  Saj^,  is  your  ladyship  about  to  turn  over 
a  new  leaf  with  the  resolve  to  put  personal 
pronouns  on  it  ?  Let  me  tell  you  that  you'll  find 
it  awfully  inconvenient.  I  wouldn't  discard  my 
old  friends  so  unceremoniously  ;  it  seems  sort  o' 
shabby." 


140  Echoing  and  Re-eclioing. 

Helen's  eyes  flashed  back  an  answer,  though 
she  spoke  no  word.  Tom  rattled  on : 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  Mr.  Ried  could  have 
come  across  that  composition  of  j-ours  ?  Four- 
teen 'I's'  was  quite  a  crowd  for  one  page  of  let- 
ter size,  wasn't  it,  father  ?  "  continued  Tom. 

"What  are  you  talking  about?"  asked  Mr. 
Betson,  puzzled. 

"  Oh,  haven't  you  heard  of  Helen's  wonderful 
production  ? "  and  Tom's  eyes  twinkled  with 
fun.  "  You  see,  Helen  had  been  working  a 
cushion,  dotting  it  all  over  with  gilt  beads  to 
brighten  it  up,  and  I  suppose  that  gave  her  an 
idea.  When  she  read  her  essay  over  it  seemed 
rather  dull,  so  she  plumped  down  a  lot  of  capital 
I's,  just  to  brighten  it  up  —  to  heighten  the 
effect,  j^ou  know." 

"  Well,  we  all  know  that  Helen  is  somewhat 
lavish  of  the  use  of  that  word  and  its  compan- 
ions," said  Mr.  Betson,  "  but  I  hope  she  will 
outgrow  the  habit." 

"Tom,"  said  Helen,  two  hours  later,  as  they 
were  going  to  school,  "  I  am  really  going  to  turn 
over  a  new  leaf.  I  am  not  going  to  talk  so 
much.  I  think  it  is  a  bad  habit,  and  I  think  I 
will  see  if  I  —  " 


Helen's  Pronouns.  141 

"  Six  ! "  said  Tom,  with  the  laugh  all  ready. 
"  My  I  how  they  rush  after  each  other  !  " 

"  Now,  Tom,  don't  laugh  at  me.  I  am  in 
earnest,"  and  all  the  way  to  school  Helen  talked 
about  her  resolution. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at?  "  she  asked,  sud- 
denly noticing  the  look  of  amusement  which 
Tom's  face  wore. 

"Nothing,  only  I  was  wondering  when  you 
were  to  begin." 

"  Why,  I  have  begun  I  When  I  get  up  I  said 
to  myself,  I  am  sure  I  —  " 

"  Only  five  of  them  so  far !  "  interrupted  Tom, 
with  a  merry  laugh.  "  Well,  Sis,  we'll  Jiave  to 
give  that  job  up ;  Helen  Betson  will  surely  be 
too  much  for  you." 

Did  she  give  up?  Convinced  of  her  fault, 
brought  to  consider  it  as  marring  her  Christian 
character,  as  likely  to  hinder  her  usefulness,  was 
she  likely  to  give  up  at  one  failure  in  her  efforts 
to  overcome  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"AND  PETER." 

"  And  therefore  will  the  Lord  wait  that  he  may  be  gracious 
tmto  you,  and  therefore  will  he  be  exalted,  that  he  may  have 
mercy  upon  you;  for  the  Lord  is  a  God  of  judgment;  blessed 
are  all  they  that  wait  for  him." 


H  E  day  was  perfect ;  it  was  a  June  day. 
The  most  perfect  days  of  all  the  year  sure- 
ly come  to  us  in  June.  Old  men  and  women  who 
dared  not  brave  the  storms  of  winter,  to  whom 
the  March  winds  and  the  fitful  April  weather 
came  with  dread  of  rheumatic  pains,  these  had 
welcomed  this  morning  bright  with  sunshine, 
and  with  it  the  thought  of  again  going  to  the 
house  of  God.  It  was  communion  day  at  the 
Court  Street  Church,  and  Helen  Betson,  with 

her  brother  Tom,  and  Flora  Niles,  and,  perhaps, 
142 


And  Peter.  143 

a  dozen  more,  came  to  join  themselves  to  the 
people  of  God. 

The  winter  had  not  passed  without  a  blessing 
for  this  people ;  and  Mr.  Bates  himself  had 
ceased  to  criticise  the  preaching  ;  why  should  he 
find  fault  when  the  presentation  of  the  word  had 
been  blessed,  and  members  of  his  own  house- 
hold had  been  brought  to  Christ  ? 

When  Tom  Betson  came  to  talk  with  his  pas- 
tor of  his  newly-found  love,  he  said  : 

"It  was  that  first  meeting  at  the  school-chapel 
that  put  thoughts  into  my  head  that  I  could 
never  get  away  from." 

"  May  I  ask  what  was  the  particular  circum- 
stance that  arrested  your  attention  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,  "  in  the  first  place,  Pro- 
fessor Graves  was  so  earnest,  and  his  voice 
sounded  so  deep,  as  if  the  thoughts  came  from 
away  below  everything  else,  that  I  could  not 
help  thinking  that  he  meant  it  all ;  and  then 
Helen !  why,  Mr.  Ried,  I  was  never  so  startled 
in  all  my  life.  I  thought  that  she  had  given  up 
her  notion  of  being  a  Christian,  then  to  hear  her 
say  those  words !  It  surprised  me  so  !  I  could 


144  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

never  find  any  place  to  settle  down  until  I  found 
out  the  secret  of  it  all." 

As  for  Helen  herself,  that  Sabbath  was  a  day 
of  exaltation.  She  seemed  to  be  living  in  a 
world  above  this ;  and  she  thought  that  she 
could  never  again  be  troubled  by  the  vexations 
of  every-day  living.  What  did  all  these  petty 
troubles  amount  to,  anyway  ?  What  were  they 
when  compared  with  the  glory  of  the  over- 
shadowing presence  of  Christ?  Why  should 
one  walking  through  life  with  a  hand  held  fast 
in  the  Saviour's  grasp,  mind  the  pebbles  in  the 
path  ?  For  the  time  at  least  she  had  risen  above 
the  mists  of  doubt,  and  was  dwelling  in  the 
purer  atmosphere  of  perfect  trust.  Would  it 
last,  or  would  the  realities  of  Monday  bring  her 
back  to  the  old  level  where  the  battle  was  going 
on  ?  True,  she  wanted  a  part  in  the  warfare. 
She  really  meant  always  to  be  found  where  the 
battle  was  the  fiercest ;  but  it  was  the  warfare 
outside  of  which  she  was  dreaming  ;  she  fancied 
that  for  herself  the  victory  was  won,  nor  thought 
of  the  wild  conflict  yet  to  come.  She  would 
fight  against  sin  in  the  world,  and  Jbelp  on  the 
day  of  Christ's  triumph. 


And  Peter.  145 

When  Mr.  Ried  said,  just  at  the  close  of  the 
service  :  "  Now  let  us  in  a  few  words  of  silent 
prayer  present  the  desire  of  our  hearts  to  the 
Father,  that  which  we  most  earnestly  long  for, 
remembering  that  the  promise  is  unto  us  as  we 
abide  in  Christ,  and  as  his  words  abide  in  us. 
Shall  we  ask  now  ?  " 

Helen,  bowing  her  head,  lifted  up  her  heart  in 
this  wise :  "  Dear  Saviour,  I  would  live  to  do 
some  work  for  thee.  Hear  now  my  prayer  and 
accept  the  service  I  would  offer." 

She  carried  home  with  her  the  same  conscious- 
ness of  having  gained  a  higher  ground  than  she 
had  ever  trod  before.  Mr.  Ried's  words  of 
warning  as  to  ho\v  they  might  look  for  answers 
to  their  requests  fell  unheeded  upon  her  ear,  or 
at  least  she  failed  to  comprehend  him,  and  long 
after  the  words  came  to  her  as  a  ray  of  light  in 
the  darkness. 

And  Tom !  What  had  been  his  petition  ? 
With  humility  he  prayed :  "  Dear  Saviour,  help 
me  to  overcome  my  faults  and  make  me  fit  to  be 
a  minister.  And  oh  !  I  want  most  of  all  to  have 
father  and  mother  know  of  thy  love." 

While  Helen  had  vague  notions  of  doing  some 


146  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

great  work  for  Christ,  Tom  had  asked  for 
something  specific.  He  went  out  of  himself  and 
sought  for  others  the  gift  of  God's  love.  He  had 
not  reached  that  point  of  joyful  exaltation  upon 
which  Helen  stood,  but  his  feet  were  firmly 
fixed  upon  the  rock,  and  he  was  less  likely  to  be 
disturbed  by  the  jostlings  of  the  outside  affairs. 
Tom  was  quick  tempered  and  sarcastic,  and  he 
realized  that  he  had  before  him  a  hard  fight  if 
he  would  overcome  these  besetting  sins.  Hence 
his  pra}rer  for  help.  t 

The  answer  to  Helen's  prayer  was  not  to  be 
long  delayed;  already  the  messenger  to  fulfill 
the  request  was  casting  its  shadow  over  that 
household,  though  in  the  hush  of  the  Sabbath 
none  felt  it ;  it  was  in  the  gray  twilight  of  the 
morning  that  the  first  chill  of  the  darkening 
presence  was  felt. 

A  hurried  step  in  the  hall  awoke  Helen. ;  then 
she  heard  her  mother  say:  "Tom,  Tom,  you 
must  go  quickly  for  Dr.  Vananden  !  Your 
father  has  a  fit  of  some  sort ;  be  quick." 

Before  Mrs.  Betson  had  finished  speaking, 
Tom  was  hurriedly  dressing,  saying,  "  Yes, 
mother,"  and  then  a  tap  at  Helen's  door : 


And  Peter.  147 

"  Yes,  mother,  I  hear,  and  I'm  coming." 

That  was  the  beginning;  all  that  day  and 
through  days  and  nights  that  followed,  they 
watched  beside  the  husband  and  father ;  Dr. 
Vanandeu  had  looked  grave  from  the  first. 

"  Overworked,"  he  said ;  "  this  must  have  been 
coming  on  for  some  months  ;  how  has  he  seemed 
of  late?" 

And  then  Mrs.  Betson  remembered  symptoms 
of  failing  health ;  in  themselves  so  slight  that 
they  had  passed  unnoticed  ;  how  strange  it 
seemed  to  them  all  now  that  they  had  allowed 
them  to  pass  so  !  So  imminent  was  the  danger, 
and  so  fearful  were  they  that  every  hour  might 
be  the  last,  that  neither  Helen  nor  Tom  thought 
of  going  to  school,  for  several  days  at  least,  and 
when  Mr.  Betson  rallied  slightly,  so  that  the 
doctor  said  he  might  linger  for  a  long  time,  but 
gave  them  no  encouragement  as  to  recovery, 
then  the  subject  of  school  came  up. 

It  was  Helen's  last  year  with  Professor  Graves, 
and  she  was  looking  forward  to  Vassar  or  Hoi- 
yoke;  but  of  course  she  could  not  go  away  from 
home  at  present ;  and  Tom  —  poor  Tom  —  his 
way  seemed  hedged  right  across !  It  had  all 


148  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

along  been  his  father's  intention  to  take  Tom 
into  business  with  himself;  and  this  had  quite 
suited  Tom,  until  of  late  he  had  come  to  hope 
that  he  might  be  permitted  to  serve  the  Lord  by 
publicl}'-  ministering  in  his  name,  and  only  the 
evening  before  he  had  spoken  to  his  father  about 
going  to  college ;  Mr.  Betson  was  surprised,  and 
only  said : 

"  Well,  Tom,  this  is  quite  a  new  thought.  I 
must  consider  it ;  it  would  suit  me  better  to  see 
you  a  thorough-going  business  man ;  certainly 
that  rather  than  a  third-rate  lawyer  or  minister ; 
but  we'll  think  about  it." 

So  Tom  had  slept  that  night  with  a  hopeful 
heart ;  he  was  almost  sure  what  the  decision 
would  be.  But  next  morning  changed  all  that, 
and  when  Tom  came  to  think  of  the  matter 
again,  he  saw  how  impossible  going  to  school 
would  be,  at  least  for  a  long  time.  Mr.  Betson 
was  not  a  poor  man  ;  doubtless  he  could  well 
have  afforded  to  send  both  Tom  and  Helen  away 
to  school,  for  a  full  collegiate  course  ;  but  they 
both  felt  that  while  there  was  the  slightest  hope 
that  he  might  rally  sufficiently  to  decide  for 
them,  they  could  not  urge  their  mother  to  make 


And  Peter.  149 

such  an  important  move  ;  even  if  that  question 
could  have  been  decided,  how  could  they  leave 
their  mother  with  the  weight  of  care  that  rested 
upon  her  ? 

"  No,"  said  Tom,  talking  it  over  with  Helen 
for  the  fortieth  time,  "  there  is  no  use  in  think- 
ing about  it,  not  for  me  at  least ;  it  may  be  a 
little  different  with  you ;  father  had  never  made 
any  definite  plans  for  you,  and  it  would  not  be 
contrary  to  any  expressed  wisli  of  his  if  you 
were  to  go  to  Vassar  to-morrow." 

"I  know,"  said  Helen  ;  "and  more  than  that, 
I  am  sure  that  he  meant  to  have  me  go ;  you 
know  what  he  said  to  Professor  Graves  about 
my  Latin  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  and  Tom  sighed  over  his  own  dis- 
appointment ;  they  were  walking  home  from 
church,  one  August  Sabbath,  when  this  talk 
took  place  of  which  I  have  given  the  conclusion. 
Just  here  there  w;is  a  quick  step  behind  them, 
then  alongside,  and  Mr.  Ried's  voice : 

"  Glad  to  see  you  both  out.  I  conclude  that 
your  father  is  no  worse  to-day  ?  " 

It  was  Helen  who  answered:  "No,  sir; 
mother  thought  him  a  very  little  stronger  this 


150  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

morning,  and  he  spoke  quite  distinctly  to  me 
when  I  carried  him  his  breakfast.  But  then," 
she  added,  sadly,  "  Dr.  Vananden  says  that  he  is 
liable  to  have  another  attack  like  the  first,  at 
any  time." 

"  Yes,"  returned  the  pastor,  "  and  that  makes 
it  the  more  imperative  that  we  relax  not  our 
efforts  to  draw  him  within  the  fold.  Your 
mother  told  me,  yesterday,  that  she  had  learned 
to  pray  while  watching  by  your  father's  bedside. 
With  so  many  of  you  reaching  out  for  God's 
blessing,  he  cannot  fail  of  being  drawn  into  the 
fold,  if  only  you  are  faithful." 

They  were  at  the  gate  now,  and  their  pastor 
only  added  :  "  Be  of  good  cheer  ;  remember  the 
promises  are  sure,  and  they  are  yours" 

But  Helen  could  not  remember  any  that  seemed 
to  help  her ;  she  was  passing  through  a  dark  val- 
ley ;  these  summer  days,  in  which  she  had  ex- 
pected to  be  making  her  preparations  for  a  year 
away  at  school,  had  been  spent  so  differently ; 
"just  wasted,"  she  would  sometimes  say  to  her- 
self; if  she  could  have  done  a  share  of  the 
nursing,  but  they  had  been  forced  to  employ  a 
professional  nurse  who  shared  the  task  with  her 


And  Peter.  151 

mother,  so  that  it  was  only  now  and  then  a  little 
service  that  Helen  was  permitted  to  do  ;  arid  she 
grew  weary  of  the  long  waiting  that  seemed  so 
purposeless  ;  not  that  it  was  an  idle  waiting,  her 
days  were  filled  up  with  many  distasteful  duties, 
duties  which  her  mother  had  heretofore  taken 
upon  herself,  but  which  now  fell  upon  Helen  j 
every  young  girl  who  has  been  accustomed  to 
take  a  share  of  the  work  of  housekeeping  will 
understand  just  the  little  vexing  things  that  so 
tried  Helen  Betson  during  these  days;  and  yet 
it  is  these  same  little  things  that  make  up  much 
of  the  comfort  of  home,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
Helen's  faithful  performance  of  these  same  hated 
duties,  Tom  and  the  burdened  mother  must 
have  missed  many  comforts.  Helen  asked  in 
sincerity  for  some  work  for  Christ,  but  her  ideas 
of  the  sort  of  service  she  was  to  render  were 
certainly  quite  different  from  the  reality  ;  hence 
her  slowness  in  finding  out  that  this  was  really 
work  set  to  her  by  the  Master ;  and  was  as  much 
a  Christian  service  as  was  Lydia  Elmer's  work 
at  the  Harley  Mission,  or  Flora  Niles'  teaching 
in  the  Home  Sunday-school.  It  seemed  to  her 
that  all  these  months  she  had  done  nothing! 


152  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Her  heart  was  heavy  with  reflection ;  she  had 
done  her  work  patiently  and  well,  but  she  had 
not  yet  learned  that  the  most  acceptable  service 
is  the  unquestionable  service ;  and  while  she 
was  outwardly  quiet,  inwardly  she  rebelled  at 
the  circumstances  that  closed  about  her. 

So  that  while  Tom  rejoiced  that  a  part  at  least 
of  his  prayer  was  answered,  when  his  mother 
found  her  way  to  the  cross,  Helen  saw  as  yet  no 
answer  to  her  own  desire,  which  she  had  put 
into  form  on  that  Sabbath.  Strange  how  she 
could  not  see  how  she  served  in  patient  waiting ! 

It  was  a  trying  day,  that  Thursday  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  August;  Mrs.  Betson  was  busy  all 
the  morning  in  the  invalid's  room ;  the  servant 
had  gone  to  a  picnic,  so  that  an  unusual  amount 
of  work  fell  to  Helen's  lot ;  there  was  no  end  to 
the  breakfast  dishes ;  the  fire  went  out ;  the 
milk  for  the  custard  curdled  in  the  sauce-pan  ; 
Tom  had  one  of  his  old  teasing  fits  on  and  poked 
around  in  Helen's  way,  saying  the  most  vexing 
things,  upsetting  the  pie  he  tried  to  take  from 
the  oven  ;  spattering  water  over  the  freshly- 
ironed  clothes  on  the  rack,  all  the  while  keeping 
up  a  laughing  commentary  upon  things  in  gen- 


And  Peter.  153 

eral,  and  especially  npon  Helen's  "  uncomfort. 
ableness." 

Tom  did  not  see  Dr.  Vananden's  grave  face 
that  morning  as  be  came  from  the  room  up-stairs, 
but  Helen  caught  the  look  of  pity  and  sympathy 
as  she  met  him  in  the  hall,  and  understood  him 
when  he  said,  with  his  hand  resting  upon  her 
shoulder : 

"Dear  child  I  we  may  not  question." 

Then  it  was  true  ?  Her  father  would  never 
get  well  again !  Tom  did  not  seem  to  realize 
this ;  and  that  morning  his  unusually  merry 
mood  jarred  upon  Helen,  but  she  could  not  tell 
him,  so  she  kept  on  through  the  day  with  the 
grave  face  and  sad  heart  which  Tom  was  trying 
to  brighten.  It  was  of  no  use,  and  finally  he 
went  off  and  left  her  to  her  miserable  self.  She 
knew  she  had  "  questioned  "  all  along  ;  that  she 
questioned  still.  She  had  so  wanted  to  be  active 
in  Christ's  service  !  Why  was  this  denied? 

For  several  weeks  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  sit  with  her  father  for  a  couple  of  hours  in 
the  afternoon,  while  the  nurse  went  out  for  an 
airing,  and  Mrs.  Betson  took  her  rest  on  the 
couch  within  call.  Sometimes  she  read  to  him  ; 


154  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

at  first  he  wanted  to  hear  the  daily  paper,  but 
one  day  the  paper  could  not  be  found.  To 
Helen's  "  I'm  so  sorry !  you  will  miss  your  read- 
ing," Mr.  Betson  replied : 

"•  Why,  Helen,  have  we  nothing  else  to  read  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  plenty ;  I  only  thought  that  you 
cared  most  for  the  paper." 

"  Really,  I  care  the  least  for  that ;  suppose 
you  begin  with  the  New  Testament,  and  read  a 
chapter  every  day." 

So  Helen  ministered  unto  her  father  in  holy 
things  —  all  unconsciously  giving  to  the  words 
she  read  a  pathos  and  a  meaning  that  somehow 
found  the  way  to  the  heart  of  the  listener.  First 
he  was  interested  in  the  story,  for  it  must  be 
confessed  that  he  was  strangely  ignorant  of  the 
beautiful  details  of  the  history  of  that  "  wonder- 
ful life." 

After  a  few  days  he  said,  as  Helen  closed  the 
book  at  the  end  of  the  chapter,  "  Go  on."  And 
so  she  read  on,  chapter  after  chapter.  Some- 
times she  heard  murmured  comments,  as  "won- 
derful ; "  "  can  this  be  so  ?  "  This  afternoon  she 
came  to  Mark  16.  She  read  : 

"  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Be  not  affrighted ; 


And  Peter.  155 

ye  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  crucified ; 
he  is  risen  ;  he  is  not  here  ;  behold  the  place 
where  they  laid  him. 

"  But  go  your  way.  Tell  his  disciples  and 
Peter  that  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee; 
there  shall  ye  see  him,  as  he  said  unto  you." 

"  And  Peter  I  "  This  was  Mr.  Betson's 
comment.  Again  he  repeated  the  word,  "And 
Peter!"  That  was  all.  Helen  finished  the 
chapter,  and  turning  to  look  at  her  father  saw 
that  he  seemed  to  be  sleeping.  Laying  down 
her  book  she  sat  watching  —  and  praying;  for- 
getting self  and  her  desire  to  be  the  instrument 
whom  God  should  honor,  she  was  never  nearer 
being  thus  honored.  Once  or  twice  the  sick 
man's  lips  moved,  and  his  waiting  daughter 
caught  the  words,  "  And  Peter ; "  then  again, 
"  But  Peter  denied  him  !  " 

I  do  not  know  that  the  pastor  had  Helen 
Betson  in  his  thoughts  that  evening,  but  I  am 
sure  there  is  one  who  had  ;  and  who  prompted 
the  thoughts  which  were  presented. 

She  came  out  of  a  sad  reverie  to  hear  him  — 
Mr.  Ried  —  say  : 

"  It  may  not  be  just  what  you  asked,  or  sought, 


156  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

or  planned,  but  it  must  be  the  best  for  you  be- 
cause God  has  put  it  into  your  life,  and  he  makes 
no  mistakes.  Will  you  refuse  the  patient  toil 
he  asks  because  he  hath  denied  your  choice  ? 
Are  you  sure  that  your  chosen  task  might  not 
have  proved  too  great  for  your  strength  ?  May 
it  not  be  that  the  discipline  of  this  strange,  un- 
sought work  is  but  a  preparation  for  some  greater 
toil,  even  your  own  choice,  when  you  shall  have 
grown  to  its  height?  And  to  you  who  have 
been  praying  for  something  very  neaFyour  heart, 
and  who  see  as  yet  no  signs  of  an  answer,  let 
me  sajr,  Look  carefully  over  God's  dealings, 
review  the  path  in  which  you  have  been  led, 
and  see  if  more  has  not  been  given  than  has 
been  denied.  After  all,  would  you  drop  out  of 
your  life  that  which  has  been  given  you  to  do 
or  enjoy,  just  for  the  chance  to  try  your  own 
choice  ?  " 

Would  she  ?  Would  Helen  give  up  the 
memory  of  those  afternoon  readings,  and  the 
thrill  of  joy  she  felt  at  her  father's  evidently 
growing  interest  in  them,  for  any  plan  of  her 
own  ?  And  the  thought  that  took  hold  of  her 
with  a  firmer  grasp  was  this,  that  "  God  makes 


And  Peter.  157 

no  mistakes  " —  not  that  she  had  ever  doubted 
God's  all-wise  power  and  knowledge.  She 
knew  it  all  before  ;  now  she  felt  it. 

Tom  had  a  message  for  his  pastor  that  even- 
ing. 

"  Father  wished  me  to  ask  you  to  call  a  few 
minutes  on  the  way  home,  if  convenient,"  he 
said,  after  the  meeting  closed. 

"Certainly  I  will,  with  pleasure.  Is  your 
father  worse  ?  " 

"  I  think  not ;  but  he  seemed  anxious  to  see 
you  to-night,"  said  Tom. 

Mr.  Ried  was  a  little  surprised  at  the  request, 
for,  though  he  had  called  frequently  during  Mr. 
Betson's  illness,  it  was  not  often  that  the  sick 
man  was  inclined  to  receive  him.  To-night  he 
was  welcomed  warmly  by  both  the  invalid  and 
his  wife. 

"  I  hope  we  have  not  troubled  you  very  much," 
said  Mrs.  Betson  ;  "  but  my  husband  was  so  very 
anxious  about  it,  that  I  ventured  to  send  for 
you." 

"I  wanted  to  see  you,"  said  Mr.  Betson,  "and 
to-morrow  might  be  too  late.  Twenty-five 
years  ago  I  set  out  to  follow  Christ.  Like  Peter, 


158  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

I  promised  to  follow  whithersoever  he  should 
lead ;  then,  like  Peter,  I  denied  my  Lord ! 
And  I  have  been  denying  him  all  these  years  so 
emphatically  that  none  of  you  have  known  that 
I  once  professed  to  be  his  disciple!  But  this 
afternoon  this  dear  child  read  to  me  of  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ;  and  as  she  read,  '  Go,  tell  his 
disciples  and  Peter,'  it  came  to  me  forcibly  that 
Peter  had  a  special  message  sent  to  him  ;  then 
it  seemed  to  me  as  if  this  little  girl  was  the  mes- 
senger sent  to  tell  me  that  my  Lord  had  risen, 
and  that  I  may  be  forgiven  too." 

He  spoke  slowly  and  with  difficulty,  he  was 
so  weak  and  exhausted.  But  after  resting  a  lit- 
tle he  continued : 

"  I  sent  for  you,  to-night,  to  ask  you  to  estab- 
lish an  altar  unto  the  Lord  in  this  household.  I 
think  that  with  Tom's  help  it  can  be  kept  up." 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  Tom,  who  seemed 
surprised  at  the  proposition,  but  he  answered, 
promptly : 
"  We'll  try." 

"Yes,"  continued  Mr.  Betson,  "  I  thought  so." 
After  a  pause  he  added  ;  "  Perhaps  I  am  wrong, 
but  I  want  to  keep  Tom  for  the  little  time  I 


And  Pettr.  159 

shall  sta}*,  and  then  it  may  be  that  he  will  see 
the  way  clear  to  enter  upon  a  course  of  study 
preparatory  to  the  ministry." 

Tom's  heart  gave  a  great  bound.  Was  it  to 
be,  after  all  ?  Then,  suddenly  recalling  the  first 
part  of  his  father's  last  remark  in  which  he  re- 
ferred to  his  leaving  them  as  if  that  event  were 
not  far  in  the  future,  his  heart  sank.  Hud  he 
been  blind  that  he  had  not  seen  the  shadow 
growing  deeper  ?  All  at  once  something  upon, 
which  he  had  leaned  was  torn  away,  and  he  felt 
himself  growing  dizzy  with  the  thought  that  it 
might  be  even  now  very  close  at  hand. 

Mr.  Ried's  voice  as  he  led  them  in  that  conse- 
crating prayer  was  solemn  and  tender,  though 
there  was  something  of  triumph  in  it  as  he 
thanked  the  Lord  that  this  entire  family  had 
been  led  to  make  this  dedication  of  their  all. 

A  month  later  they  were  all  gathered  again  in 
the  same  room.  Dr.  Vananden  was  there,  and 
two  or  three  friends  and  neiglbors.  The  end 
had  come.  Mr.  Betson  had  been  an  honorable 
man,  respected  and  loved  by  friends  and  neigh- 
bors. He  was  kind  and  generous,  ready  to  help 
any  whose  need  was  brought  to  his  notice  ;  yet 


160  Echoing  and   Re-eelioing. 

in  his  last  days  he  counted  his  life  a  failure, 
waste,  for  he  had  lived  without  Christ.  Said 
he  :  "I  have  lived  more  in  these  last  few  weeks 
than  in  all  the  years  of  my  life ; "  and  yet  these 
had  been  weeks  of  weary  helplessness,  of  sloAV 
wasting,  and  benumbed  powers  ! 

And  Helen,  could  she  fail  to  understand  the 
answer  ?  As  to  what  should  come  next,  she  had 
grown  content  to  be  led. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


THE  END   OF   A  QTJAEREL. 
"Be  not  overcome  of  evil,  but  overcome  evil  with  good." 


,  WAY  back  in  years  that  were  gone  there 
had  sprung  up  between  certain  mem- 
bers of  Court  Street  Church  a  dissension  that 
had  seriously  disturbed  the  peace  and  hindered 
the  growth  of  the  church.  Like  all  quarrels,  its 
origin  was  insignificant;  indeed,  it  is  doubtful 
if  any  one  of  the  persons  implicated  could  have 
given  an  exact  account  of  the  cause  of  the  diffi- 
culty ;  but,  however  small  the  beginning,  the 
results  were  by  no  means  trifling.  Once  or 
twice  the  church  as  a  body  had  taken  hold  of 
161 


162  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

the  matter,  only  to  find  it  too  unwieldy  to  be 
handled  by  them.  It  had  been  handed  over  to 
the  consideration  of  a  committee  in  the  chuich, 
who  had  handled  it  with  no  tender  fingers  ;  then 
it  had  been  passed  over  to  a  committee  out- 
side, who,  declaring  that  the  scandal  ought  to 
die,  forthwith  proceeded  to  execute  their  sen- 
tence. But,  alas  !  that  which  they  meant  to  be 
a  death-blow  failed  to  touch  the  vital  point,  and 
only  served  to  rouse  all  the  fury  of  the  hunted 
monster.  True,  there  were  times  when  the  out- 
ward peace  was  undisturbed,  but  all  the  time  there 
were  bitter  thoughts  rankling  in  some  hearts, 
scornful  or  contemptuous  sneers  on  the  lips  of 
others,  thoughts  of  revenge  growing  into  shape 
in  the  minds  of  those  most  aggrieved.  It  was 
not  a  pleasant  state  of  affairs,  nor  one  that  prom- 
ised well  for  the  progress  of  Christ's  kingdom. 
True,  God  had  not  altogether  withdrawn  from 
them,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Spirit  came  among 
them,  and  a  few  were  lead  to  take  up  the  duties 
of  a  new  life  ;  and  the  pastor  hoped  much  from 
this  addition  to  the  working  force  of  the  church. 
Buthewrell  knew  that  with  the  weight  of  the 
old  trouble  resting  upon  them  they  could  not 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel  163 

hope  to  rise  to  great  heights.  During  the  year 
and  a  half  that  he  had  been  with  this  church  he 
had  labored  earnestly  to  get  the  better  of  this 
trouble  ;  not  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  it ;  he  well 
knew  that  an  unearthing  of  all  the  old  horrors 
would  only  add  to  the  horrid  stench  that  con- 
tinually diffused  itself  through  the  church.  No, 
indeed,  nothing  would  ever  be  accomplished  by 
"  getting  at  the  bottom  of  it."  Let  the  people, 
with  one  accord,  consent  to  bury  the  scandal 
alive  so  deep  that  it  could  never  see  light  again  ! 
That  would  be  the  only  way  to  get  rid  of  it ; 
and  in  all  his  private  talks,  and  his  pulpit  talks, 
this  had  been  his  counsel ;  but  when  did  a  peo- 
ple who  felt  themselves  outraged  and  insulted 
find  tliemselves  able  to  bury  the  insult  and  rise 
above  the  outrage,  until  first  the  spirit  of  love 
had  taken  up  its  abode  in  their  hearts  ? 

It  was  with  pain  that  Mr.  Ried  learned  of  the 
unforgiving  spirit  that  was  cherished,  and  the 
spite  that  would  now  and  then  manifest  itself. 
In  an  hour  of  discouragement  he  said  to  his 
wife : 

"  Had  I  known  of  the  extent  of  this  trouble 
I  would  never  have  come  here.  There  is  no 


164  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

chance  to  work  amid  such  continual  draw- 
backs." 

"But,  Ralph,"  replied  the  more  hopeful  wife, 
M  I  am  sure  you  have  much  to  encourage.  Look 
at  the  work  of  Prof.  Graves,  and  the  earnest- 
ness of  Mr.  Niles.  Think  of  the  stand  that  the 
younger  ones  who  have  lately'  joined  us  have 
taken  —  Tom  Betson  and  Will  Hunting ;  and 
how  Helen  Betson  is  growing,  and  Flora,  too." 

"  Yes,"  returned  Mr.  Hied,  "  I  do  see  how 
Flora  is  ripening ;  and  it  almost  makes  me  sad. 
I  fear  she  is  getting  ready  to  go  from  us." 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  said  Mrs.  Ried, 
sadly;  "yet  I  do  not  know  that  we  should  be 
sad  at  the  thought.  I  know,"  she  continued, 
"  what  you  mean;  but  I  do  not  think  that  even 
this  trouble  in  the  church  is  beyond  the  healing 
power  of  love  ;  and,  Ralph,  I  will  tell  you  that 
you  may  be  encouraged  to  hope  for  this  healing. 
At  our  little  Saturday  afternoon  meeting  we 
have  made  an  agreement  to  pray  specially  for 
this  very  thing,  the  removal  of  the  accursed 
quarrel  from  our  midst." 

"  I  hope,"  said  the  pastor,  smiling,  "  that  you 
do  not  mean  to  pray  for  the  death  of  any  of  the 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel.  165 

belligerents?  You  know  it  has  been  said  that 
the  trouble  can  never  be  entirety  removed  so 
long  as  two  or  three  of  the  leaders  live." 

"  We  do  not  so  limit  the  power  of  oar  Lord," 
replied  Mrs.  Ried. 

"  You  are  right ;  and  will  you  thank  the  dear 
sisters  for  their  lesson  of  faith  ?  There  is  one 
thing  which  is  to  me  a  cause  of  gratitude  in  all 
this  —  that  is,  the  way  in  which  the  church,  al- 
most without  exception,  have  stood  by  their  pas- 
tor. I  have  sometimes  hoped  that  through  their 
love  for  me  they  might  be  brought  nearer  to- 
gether ;  but  that  seems  to  be  a  presumptuous 
hope,  for  if  their  love  for  a  common  Lord  and 
Master  would  not  in  all  these  years  have  led 
them  to  love  each  other,  the  regard  for  the  ser- 
vant of  that  Master  would  scarcely  have  such 
influence." 

Mrs.  Ried  smiled. 

"But,  my  dear,  why  do  they  love  you  ?  Is  it 
not  because  they  see  in  you  a  servant  of  that 
Master?  Is  it  not  because  they  see  in  you 
something  of  the  likeness  of  Christ  ?  And  are 
not  the  qualities  which  call  forth  their  love  those 
which  are  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  ?  And  if  your 


166  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

hope  of  leading  them  by  a  common  love  to  love 
each  other  were  to  be  realized,  would  it  not, 
after  all,  be  the  love  which  is  of  Christ  that 
would  thus  bind  their  hearts  together  ?  " 

"  It  seems  almost  too  much  to  hope,"  said  Mr. 
Ried  ;  "  the  men  with  whom  the  trouble  origi- 
nated are  men  of  very  decided  opinions,  and  it 
will  be  hard  to  convince  either  of  them  that  they 
have  been  in  the  wrong." 

"  Is  anything  too  hard  for  God?"  asked  Mrs. 
Ried.  "  I  feel  as  you  do  —  that  we  cannot  look 
for  a  great  ingathering  while  the  church  is  in 
this  state.  It  seemed  as  if  the  blessing  that  ap- 
peared to  be  so  near  us,  lust  spring,  was  largely 
withheld,  because  of  this  thing  so  displeasing  to 
God,  which  we  cherish  in  our  midst.  But  we 
are  stronger  now  in  numbers,  and  I  hope  in 
faith ;  and  I  confidently  expect  to  see  the  salva- 
tion of  the  Lord  corning  to  this  people." 

The  pastor  smiled  and  seemed  to  gather 
strength  from  his  wife's  hopeful  mood  ;  and  per- 
haps, too,  he  gained  a  text  and  an  inspiration  for 
the  next  Sabbath  morning's  sermon.  I  think 
that  some  of  those  gray -headed  men  must  have 
overlooked  that  particular  passage  in  their  study 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel.  167 

of  the  word  ;  and  more  than  one  sat  uneasily  in 
his  place  during  the  listening  to  the  strong, 
searching  questioning  of  the  pastor  and  the  ten- 
der, loving  appeal  with  which  he  closed.  "By 
this  shall  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if 
ye  love  one  another."  This  was  his  theme,  and 
he  sought  to  show  how  this  prominent  character- 
istic of  the  Christian  should  be  exemplified  ;  how 
hatred  has  no  place  among  the  graces ;  and  how- 
Christians  ought  to  seek  to  be  at  peace  with  all 
men,  and  especially  should  they  be  at  peace  with 
their  brethren  in  the  church.  And  how  might 
this  be  ?  There  must  always  be  differences  of 
opinion  ;  sometimes  disputes  would  arise ;  some- 
times hard,  bitter  feelings  would  find  a  place  in 
the  hearts  even  of  Christ's  true  followers  ;  some- 
times a  positive  injury  might  even  be  done  to  a 
brother  —  how  then?  Might  the  injured  one 
seek  revenge  ?  Not  so !  Rather  let  him  seek  to 
overcome  evil  with  good.  "  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered," said  the  pastor,  "  that  to  seek  to  retaliate 
is  to  be  *  overcome  of  evil ' ;  that  to  cherish  hard, 
revengeful  thoughts  is  to  be  '  overcome  of  evil '; 
that  to  let  your  lips  utter  the  bitterness  that  your 
heart  feels,  to  let  your  hand  be  staid  from  the 


168  Eclioing  and  He-echoing. 

kind  act,  to  refuse  the  cordial  salutation,  to 
leave  that  brother's  name  out  of  your  prayers, 
any  one,  or  all  of  these,  is  to  be  '  overcome  of 
evil.'  How  shall  we  overcome  evil  with  good  ? 
Ah !  the  heart  overflowing  with  love  needs  not  to 
be  told  this.  Does  thine  enemy  hunger  ?  Does  he 
thirst  ? — supply  his  wants.  It  may  be  that  his  soul 
is  hungering  and  thirsting  after  this  love  which 
you  withhold.  It  may  be  that  he  would  meet 
you  more  than  half-way  ;  but  if  not,  your  duty 
remains  the  same  ;  if  you  would  prove  your  dis- 
cipleship  ;  if  you  would  have  the  reward  prom- 
ised to  him  that  overcometh  ;  if  you  would  lighten 
your  heart  of  a  heavy  burden,  and  if  you  would 
seek  the  prosperity  of  our  beloved  church,  win 
souls  for  Christ's  kingdom.  Then  let  it  become 
your  first  endeavor  to  overcome  evil  with  good. 
Remember  that  the  first  duty  is  to  be  reconciled 
to  thy  brother,  and  if  your  heart  is  filled  with 
the  love  of  Christ  the  reconciliation  will  be  easy. 
But  does  any  one  ask,  '  Shall  a  man  humble 
himself  to  seek  to  be  reconciled  to  one  who, 
having  injured  him,  yet  desires  not  to  be 
reconciled,  who  would  spurn  his  advances  ? ' 
My  dear  friends,  the  command  is  the  same  ;  and 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel.  169 

remember  that  he  that  humbleth  himself  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord  shall  be  lifted  up.  '  Beloved, 
let  us  love  one  another  ;  for  love  is  of  God.' " 

As  the  brief,  earnest  prayer,  following  the  ser- 
mon ended,  and  before  Mr.  Ried  had  time  to 
announce  the  closing  hymn,  a  slight  stir  arrested 
his  attention  as  well  as  that  of  the  congregation. 
Slowly  an  old  man  rose,  and  all  waited  to  hear 
what  Deacon  Barnard  had  to  say.  His  voice 
trembled  and  his  frame  shook  as  though  he  were 
palsied : 

"  My  dear  brethren  and  sisters,''  he  said, 
"  there  is  no,  time  like  the  present,  and  I  want  to 
say  a  few  words  now,  if  you  will  bear  with  me. 
In  days  past  I  have  been  sorely  hurt.  My  pa- 
tience has  been  tried  sometimes,  my  counsels 
have  been  rejected,  and  I  have  been  jealous  of 
the  rights  of  others  as  well  as  my  own;  but 
from  this  time  I  put  all  behind  me  and  under 
my  feet.  There  is  at  this  moment  no  ill-feeling 
toward  any  one  in  the  church  or  out.  All  that 
has  ever  been  done  or  said  through  all  our  long- 
continued  trouble  I  am  going  to  recall  no  more. 
And  now  I  would  crave  the  forgiveness  of  you, 
all.  There  is  only  love  in  my  heart.  The  love 


170  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

of  Christ  has,  I  trust,  come  in  greater  fullness 
than  ever  before,  and  driven  out  all  strife  and 
envying.  Not  even  for  the  wrongs  of  others 
have  I  any  resentment.  I  am  an  old  man  —  I 
can  not  expect  to  stay  here  much  longer ;  and  I 
would  hope  to  see  this  church  prosperous  and 
united  again  before  I  go.  Dear  brethren  and 
sisters,  let  us  put  behind  us  all  bitterness ;  let 
all  the  old  hardness  be  swallowed  up  in  love.  I 
acknowledge  that  I  have  been  hard  and  unfor- 
giving. I  have  nursed  my  wrongs  —  some  of 
them,  no  doubt,  have  been  fancied  wrongs,  and 
the  real  ones  have  been  magnified  —  but  to-day 
they  all  sink  into  insignificance,  swallowed  up 
in  the  love,  the  brightness  and  glory  of  which 
removes  all  darkness.  Oh !  my  friends,  if  it  be 
true  that  here  we  '  see  through  a  glass  darkly,' 
and  the  glimpse  we  have  of  the  glory  of  our 
Saviour's  love  is  so  wondrous,  so  full  of  blessed- 
ness, what  will  be  the  reality  when  we  come  to 
know  of  the  fullness  of  his  love  ?  Dear  brethren 
and  sisters,  in  all  sincerity  and  humility  I  ask 
your  forgiveness,  and  I  would  extend  the  hand 
of  charity  —  the  token  of  good  will  —  to  alL 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel  171 

Let  us  love  one  another,  that  God  may  dwell  in 
us  and  his  love  be  perfected  in  us." 

The  old  man  spoke  slowly,  his  voice  trembling 
with  age  and  choked  with  feeling.  There  were 
many  tearful  eyes  in  the  congregation,  and  stern 
faces  softened  ;  the  silence  that  fell  upon  them 
as  Deacon  Barnard  sat  down  was  broken  by  Pro- 
fessor Graves. 

"  Let  us  pray,"  he  said  ;  and  then  he  led  them 
in  a  short,  earnest  appeal  to  the  throne  of  grace, 
asking  that  the  spirit  of  love  that  had  now 
appeared  in  their  midst  might  not  depart  from 
them,  but  abide  with  them,  inclining  their  hearts 
to  still  further  concessions,  and  uniting  them  in 
every  good  work  and  holy  endeavor. 

As  they  went  out  from  that  morning's  service 
there  were  many  handshakings  and  murmured 
words  of  reconciliation ;  many  pressed  forward  to 
grasp  the  hand  of  the  old  deacon,  who  had  a 
word  of  love  for  each.  Meeting  Mr.  Cramer  at 
the  door,  he  said : 

"  My  brother,  we  have  been  in  sympathy  in 
this  long  trouble  ;  are  we  in  sympathy  now  ?  " 

Mr.  Cramer  did  not  reply  very  promptly,  and 


172  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

his  hesitancy  was  rightly  interpreted  as  a  dis- 
sent. 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  man,  "  I  trust  that  God 
will  lead  us  all  to  a  sense  of  our  want.  Bro. 
Cramer,  can  you  carry  your  hatred  into  the  other 
world?  Oh,  let  the  love  of  Jesus  in,  and  your 
ill-will  can  not  stay  !  " 

This  was  the  one  theme  —  the  love  of  Christ  ! 
The  dear  old  man  had  no  other  thought.  "  All 
is  swallowed  up  in  his  love."  He  repeated 
these  words  again  and  again. 

Mr.  Bates  was  unusually  quiet  that  Sabbath 
afternoon.  While  his  wife  and  the  children 
talked  over  the  surprising  events  of  the  morning 
he  was  silent.  His  dinner  was  almost  untasted ; 
he" went  early  to  the  barn  to  look  after  the  even- 
ing chores.  Coming  in  he  said  to  his  son  : 

"  I  have  harnessed  the  horse,  and  you  may 
drive  down  to  church  this  evening ;  I  am  going 
to  walk  down  early  ;  I  want  to  see  the  deacon 
for  a  few  moments." 

At  the  deacon's  it  was  a  word  and  a  prayer. 
Then  Mr.  Bates  went  on  to  Mr.  Cramer's.  Here 
the  strong  man  faltered.  These  two  had,  per- 
haps, been  the  most  obstinate  ones  of  all  con- 


The  End  of  a  Quarrel.  173 

cerned  in  the  difficult}-.  How  would  Mr.  Cramer 
receive  his  advances?  He  had  witnessed  the 
interview  between  the  deacon  and  that  gentle- 
man, and  saw  that  the  heart  of  the  other  was 
not  softened.  But  he  had  left  the  old  man 
praying  for  them  ;  and  though  he  trembled  and 
every  nerve  quivered,  he  went  in. 

"  I  have  come  to  shake  hands,"  he  said.  "  Bro. 
Cramer,  will  you  give  me  your  hand  in  forgive- 
ness and  Christian  love  ?  " 

Just  as  the  organist  softly  played  the  invitation 
to  the  evening  service  a  thrill  of  surprise  equal 
to  that  of  the  morning'  ran  through  the  con^re- 

o  o  o 

gation.  Mr.  Bates  and  Mr.  Cramer  entered  the 
audience  room  together  and  took  their  seats  in 
Deacon  Palmer's  pew.  What  a  song  of  thanks- 
giving went  up  from  the  heart  of  the  pastor  as 
in  this  act  he  read  the  end  of  their  sad  difficulty ! 
And  the  choir  proved  equal  to  the  occasion  ;  and 
such  a  glad  hosanua  as  rang  out  that  evening 
was  not  often  heard  in  Court  Street  Church ! 
There  was  a  ring  of  gladness  in  all  the  service  of 
the  evening.  There  was  a  glow  upon  the  face 
of  more  than  one  that  was  new  and  cheering. 
A.t  the  close  of  the  service,  while  the  last 


174  Echoing  and  .Re-echoing. 

hymn  was  being  sung,  Dr.  Vananden  entered  at 
the  rear  door,  and  whispered  to  Mr.  Ried,  for  a 
moment  only.  The  gladness  faded  out  of  the 
pastor's  face,  only  to  return  as  he  listened  to  the 
Doctor's  communication.  As  the  hymn  was  end- 
ed Dr.  Vauandeu  stepped  forward  and  said : 

"  Dear  friends,  I  have  sad  news  for  you  ;  sad, 
yet  not  unmixed  with  joy.  Our  dear  old  friend, 
Deacon  Barnard,  has  gone  home.  Not  an  hour 
since  I  was  summoned  to  his  bedside.  He  was 
stricken  down  suddenly,  but  not  surprised. 
Those  of  you  who  heard  him  this  morning  need 
not  to  be  told  of  his  readiness  to  obey  the  call. 
He  left  a  tender,  loving  farewell  for  you  all. 
*  Tell  them,'  he  said,  '  that  I  die  happier  for  the 
words  I  said  this  morning ;  that  I  would  only 
emphasize  them  as  my  parting  message.'  When 
almost  gone  we  caught  the  whisper,  '  To  him  that 
overcometh  ;  and  again,  'The  love  of  Christ.' 
Dear  friends,  let  us  not  mourn.  Our  old  friend's 
work  was  done ;  this  morning's  work  was  the 
crowning  of  his  long  life.  Now  the  Master  has 
called  him  to  be  where  there  is  fullness  of  love. 
Already  he  knows  what  that  fullness  is." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

STJKPKISES. 

"  Behold,  I  will  do  a  new  thing;  now  it  shall  spring  forth, 
•hall  ye  nbt  know  it.  I  will  even  make  a  way  in  the  wilder- 
ness and  rivers  in  the  desert." 


I  WAY  back  among  the  hills  was  heard 
the  re-echoing  of  that  sermon  upon  for- 
giveness. Full  of  the  spirit  of  love  which  had 
been  revived  in  his  own  heart  Robert  Niles  went 
out  to  his  little  Sunday-school  in  the  Clarkson 
neighborhood.  From  the  first  one  or  two  fami- 
lies stood  aloof.  Three  years  ago,  when  the 
little  country  school-house  where  the  Sunday- 
school  was  held  was  built,  Mr.  Tyler,  one  of  the 
building  committee,  wanted  the  desks  to  face 
the  south,  and  Mr.  Davis  thought  they  ought  to 


176  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

face  the  west.  Both  felt  that  the  interests  of  a 
nation  hung  upon  the  question.  Mr.  T}der, 
having  carried  his  point  his  children  sat  with 
their  faces  turned  toward  the  tropics  ;  while  the 
children  of  Mr.  Davis  trudged  two  miles  in  an- 
other direction,  not  that  they  might  drink  in  the 
glories  of  the  western  sky,  but  that  their  father 
might  thus  show  his  independent  spirit !  As  on 
week  days  so  on  the  Sabbath  they  were  forbid- 
den to  set  foot  within  the  walls  of  the  new 
school-house. 

Thinking  of  the  neighborhood  quarrel,  and  of 
the  children  debarred  from  all  religious  privi- 
leges by  the  obstinacy  of  the  parents,  and  with 
sadness  remembering  the  gray-haired  fathers 
living  without  God,  Robert  Niles  determined  to 
make  an  effort  to  bring  about  a  change.  It 
seemed  a  great  undertaking ;  and  the  greatest 
trouble,  was  to  find  a  place  to  begin;  at  least 
that  was  the  first  thought.  Then  he  quickly 
remembered  that  the  place  of  prayer  must  be 
the  beginning  of  the  Christian's  undertakings  if 
they  would  be  successful.  To  seek  in  the  shadow 
of  the  cross  the  wisdom  and  the  strength  needed, 
to  plead  for  the  softening  influences  of  the  Spirit, 


Surprises.  177 

that  old  antipathies  might  be  swept  away  and 
the  hearts  prepared  for  the  entrance  of  better 
thoughts  and  kinder  feelings,  was  the  first  step ; 
then  how  God  smoothed  the  way  I 

Mr.  Davis  had  been  away  from  home  for  a 
•week.  His  card,  stating  the  time  of  his  return, 
miscarried,  and  he  arrived  in  town  late  in  the 
afternoon,  to  find  no  one  to  meet  him.  Too 
late  for  the  stage,  and  being  unwilling  to  incur 
the  expense  of  a  private  conveyance,  he  started 
to  walk  the  three  miles  through  the  snow.  It 
certainly  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect,  and  he 
grumbled  some,  keeping  a  lookout  for  passing 
sleighs. 

"  Can  you  attend  to  that  business  of  Baker's 
this  afternoon  ? "  asked  Mr.  Smith,  that  day, 
just  before  dinner,  addressing  Mr.  Niles. 

"  I  suppose  I  could,"  was  the  reply,  "  though 
I  would  rather  not.  I  was  intending  to  ride  out 
of  town,  and  if  I  do,  I  shall  have  no  spare  time." 

Mr.  Smith  looked  surprised  and  the  least  bit 
annoyed.  Robert  Niles  was  not  wont  to  set 
aside  business  for  the  sake  of  rides  out  of  town. 
And  the  senior  partner  had  a  suspicion  that 


178  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

upon  this  fact  the  interests  of  the  firm  were 
hinged. 

"  I  had  not  forgotten  Mr.  Baker,"  said  Robert ; 
"  but  it  is  a  matter  that  does  not  demand  im- 
mediate attention." 

"And  your  ride  out  of  town?"  queried  Mr. 
Smith,  in  a  slightly  bantering  tone. 

Robert  smiled. 

"  Well,  that  might  be  postponed  ;  but  I  have 
an  impression  that  it  ought  not  to  be.  And  yet 
I  must  confess  that  I  have  no  very  definite  ob- 
ject or  point  in  view." 

At  this  last  frank  admission  Mr.  Smith  was 
still  more  surprised.  It  was  not  like  his  partner 
to  have  no  definite  plans.  What  had  come  over 
him? 

Robert  laughed  out  at  the  look  of  disapproval 
that  spread  over  his  friend's  face. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said,  "  you  think  I  am  talking 
like  a  silly  boy.  I  mean  this ;  I  have  an  object 
and  a  point  to  gain,  and  someway  I  have  an  im- 
pression that  my  contemplated  drive  this  after- 
noon may  further  that  plan ;  and  so  I  thought 
to  let  Mr.  Baker  wait." 

"  Oh ;   well,  as  for  Baker,   he   can   wait,  of 


Surprises.  179 

course.     He  said  any  time  this  week.    But " 

Mr.  Smith  hesitated,  and  Mr.  Niles  took  up 
the  unfinished  sentence : 

"  *  Business  first ! '  I  know  our  motto  ;  and  I 
know,  too,  that  you  are  laughing  at  me  for  fol- 
lowing my  *  impressions.'  And  you  and  I  will 
hardly  be  likely  to  agree  as  to  the  source  of 
what  we  sometimes  call  a 'presentiment.'  But 
when  we  have  sought  for  direction,  it  seems  to 
me  that  we  have  the  right  to  expect  it." 

Mr.  Smith  was  a  Christian,  I  suppose.  He 
was  a  church  member ;  he  always  sat  dignified 
and  stately  at  the  head  of  his  family  pew,  bow- 
ing reverently  in  prayer,  and  sometimes  joining 
in  the  hymns:  giving  liberally,  and  frequently 
attending  the  weekly  prayer-meeting.  He  was 
honest  and  just,  in  his  own  home  cordial  and 
hospitable ;  but  of  the  warm,  loving,  sympathetic 
Christianity  that  prompted  Robert  Niles  to  so 
many  'activities,  that  led  him  out  upon  the  bleak 
hill-sides  and  filled  his  whole  life  with  a  radiant 
kindness  that  warmed  others  and  inspired  them 
to  reach  out  and  seek  to  draw  others  still  within 
the  circle  of  life  and  joy  —  of  this  sort  of  Chris- 
tianity Mr.  Smith  knew  little.  Hence  it  was  that 


180  Echoing  and  Re-eclioing. 

he  could  not  understand  his  junior  partner. 
However,  not  understanding  him  he  trusted  him, 
both  as  to  integrity  and  judgment,  and  seldom 
criticised  his  movements ;  so  the  young  man 
went  in  and  out,  strengthening  this  one  in  new 
and  nobler  purposes,  helping  that  one  to  sur- 
mount some  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  purer  life, 
stretching  out  a  hand  to  save  the  sinking,  and 
speaking  words  of  encouragement  to  the  weary 
ones  who  were  striving  to  climb  upward.  And 
this  afternoon  Mr.  Smith  said  nothing  further, 
only  smiled  upon  his  more  enthusiastic  friend, 
who  went  his  way,  sure  of  some  work  to  do. 

Meantime  Mr.  Davis  was  wearily  climbing  the 
hill.  Strange  that  upon  a  road  so  frequented 
there  should  be  no  one  going  that  way  with 
whom  he  might  catch  a  ride,  as  is  the  custom  of 
the  country  people.  But  presently  his  ear  caught 
the  welcome  sound  of  sleigh-bells,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment looking  back  he  saw  coming  around  the 
curve  a  light  sleigh  with  a  single  occupant. 
Drawing  up  as  he  was  passing,  the  driver  said, 
in  cheery  tones : 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Davis,  will  you  take  a  seat  here  ? 
There  is  plenty  of  room/' 


Surprises.  181 

Any  other  time  Mr.  Davis  would  have  been 
slow  to  accept  the  offer.  He  was  accustomed  to 
class  the  young  man,  whom  he  only  knew  as 
the  Sabbath-school  superintendent,  among  the 
"  school-house  folks,"  and  lie  held  no  inter- 
course with  them.  But  to-night  he  was  too 
nearly  exhausted  to  decline  the  offered  relief ; 
so,  with  a  scarcely  audible  "  Thank  you,"  he 
took  the  vacant  place. 

It  was  astonishing  how  the  talk  ran  on.  Mr. 
Davis  had  just  come  from  that  part  of  the  West 
which  Robert  had  made  his  home  for  three  or 
four  years,  and  this  gave  them  a  topic  to  start  off 
with.  The  young  man  succeeded  in  making 
himself  so  agreeable  that  Mr.  Davis  quite  thawed 
out  before  they  reached  the  hill-top,  and  to  his 
own  as  well  as  Mr.  Niles'  surprise  he  said : 

"  You'll  come  in  and  warm  up  a  little  before 
you  take  the  ridge  side  ?  It's  blowing  pretty 
stiff  up  there." 

Robert  was  quite  read}7-  to  accept  the  invita- 
tion, which  he  had  been  working  for ;  not  that 
he  would  not  have  been  kind  and  agreeable  had 
there  been  no  point  to  be  gained  —  he  was  al- 
ways that.  But  doubtless  his  eagerness  to  ad- 


182  Echoing  and   Re-echoing. 

vance  the  cause  he  had  undertaken  gave  an 
added  charm  to  his  manner  and  an  increased 
force  to  his  conversation. 

"Thanks.  I  will  stop  a  few  moments.  No, 
don't  call  any  one  ;  I'll  just  blanket  the  horse 
and  let  him  stand  here." 

As  he  reached  the  door  it  occurred  to  Mr. 
Niles  that  the  home-coming  of  the  head  of  the 
household,  after  a  week's  absence,  might  be 
marred  by  the  presence  of  a  stranger  ;*  but  it  was 
too  late  to  act  upon  that  reflection,  and  so  warm 
was  the  greeting  which  he  received  from  the 
lady  who  met  them  at  the  door,  that  he  felt  quite 
at  ease,  and  the  thought  of  being  an  intruder 
was  quite  banished.  Mr.  Davis  was  in  high 
spirits  and  rollicked  about  the  house  like  a 
school-boy. 

"  Say,  wife  !  "  he  called  out,  "  have  you  any- 
thing for  supper  ?  I  mean  to  keep  this  gentle- 
man ;  so,  if  you  are  short,  you'd  better  set  Lolly 
to  work.  Give  us  a  feast ;  now  there's  a  beauty." 

The  gentle-faced  little  woman  smiled  as  she 
replied : 

"There's  plenty  already.     Certainly,   I   sup- 


Surprises.  183 

posed  your  friend  would  take  tea  with  us,  and  I 
sent  John  to  take  his  horse  to  the  stable." 

Robert  began  his  protest.  This  was  more 
than  he  looked  for,  this  being  taken  right  into 
the  heart  of  the  family  he  had  dreaded  to  ap- 
proach. 

"Not  a  word,  now!"  said  the  host.  "You 
see,  my  wife  has  taken  possession  of  you.  It 
isn't  often  that  we  have  any  church  people 
among  us  ;  so  she  means  to  make  the  most  of  the 
honor,"  and  he  laughed  good-naturedly,  tossing 
one  of  the  children  to  the  ceiling,  and  then  saying  : 
"  What  has  this  good-for-nothing  been  doing 
since  I  went  away  ?  " 

The  house  was  full  of  children,  from  the  little 
one  in  the  father's  arms  up  to  the  half-grown 
girl  and  the  boy  who  was  almost  a  man,  and  it 
was  not  difficult  for  Mr.  Niles  to  fall  into  a  sort 
of  playful,  confidential  talk  with  one  of  the  little 
girls,  a  talk  that  naturally  drifted  to  the  Sunday- 
school. 

"  I  want  to  go  awful  bad,"  she  said,  "  but  pa 
won't  let  us." 

But  pa  did  let  them,  fairly  surprised  into  a 
consent.  This  much  gained,  how  to  win  the 


184  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

father  himself  became  the  next  question,  and  it 
was  one  not  easy  of  solution.  Indeed,  the  ready 
consent  which  had  just  been  given  in  regard  to 
the  children  had  almost  taken  away  the  visitor's 
breath,  and  he  said  to  himself :  "  much  being 
gained,  you  ought  to  be  willing  to  wait  for  the 
rest."  But  something  prompted  him  to  make 
one  effort,  and  as  he  was  leaving  he  said : 

"  Mr.  Davis,  I  have  made  you  quite  a  visit. 
Now,  will  you  return  it  next  Sabbath  afternoon  ? 
After  the  school  session  we  are  to  have  a  meet- 
ing for  the  older  people  who  do  not  come  to  the 
Sunday-school.  Will  you  be  there  ? "  holding 
out  his  hand  to  say  good-night  as  he  asked  the 
last  question. 

Mr.  Davis  hesitated  ;  he  seemed  to  be  search- 
ing for  words  in  which  to  dress  his  refusal. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  ain't  one  of  that  sort.  I 
—  well,  you  see  —  I  —  "  He  wasn't  getting  on 
very  well,  and  he  knew  it,  too,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  was  blundering  confused  him  still 
more.  Finally  he  blurted  out :  "  Well,  I  s'pose 
you  know  that  I  hate  some  of  them  folks  up 
there  ?  I  hain't  never  set  foot  inside  that  school- 
house." 


Surprises.  185 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  interrupted  Robert,  pleas- 
antly, "  wouldn't  this  be  a  good  occasion  for  the 
first  time  ?  You  see  you  would  be  my  invited 
guest  for  the  day  —  or  rather  I  should  say  the 
Lord's,  for  we  hope  for  his  presence.  Will  you 
come  ?  " 

Now  you  remember,  when  Peter  was  impris- 
oned, and  prayer  was  made  without  ceasing  for 
him,  how  that,  instead  of  being  on  the  lookout 
for  his  coming,  his  brethren  could  not  believe 
Rhoda  when  she  told  them  that  he  for  whom  they 
were  even  then  praying  stood  at  the  gate.  Their 
lack  of  faith  always  seemed  strange,  and  yet  is  it 
not  the  way  we  pray  ?  We  ask,  we  plead  often- 
times, we  even  agonize  before  God,  and  after 
all  we  are  overwhelmed  with  surprise  when  God 
answers  us,  giving  us  just  what  we  most  desired. 
And  now,  when  in  reply  to  the  earnestly  put 
question  Mr.  Davis  said  with  a  laugh,  "  Well,  I 
s'pose  I  may  as  well  say  111  be  there,  for  I  see 
by  your  eye  that  you  don't  mean  to  let  me  off 
without  a  promise."  Robert  Niles  could  scarcely 
believe  his  own  sense  of  hearing.  I  am  sure  he 
would  not  have  believed  Rhoda ! 

After  he  had  driven  away,  Mr.  Davis  went  out 


186  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

to  look  after  things,  and  while  feeding  his  horse 
he  began  to  think  it  all  over.  "  What  a  fool  I 
am.  Here  I've  been  and  promised !  Won't 
Tyler  and  his  set  make  a  stir  ?  I  don't  see  what 
it  is  about  the  fellow,  but  I  declare  I  believe  he 
could  wind  me  round  his  little  finger  like  a  strip 
of  paper.  And  wasn't  that  queer  that  he  told 
about  old  Dea.  Barnard  ?  The  Deacon  was  dread- 
fully set  in  his  way.  And  to  think  that  Bates 
and  Cramer  have  made  up !  I  remember  when 
that  quarrel  started  ;  it  was  when  I  was  getting 
out  that  lumber  for  Cramer's  house.  Cramer's 
an  awful  set  man,  too.  I  wonder  if  Tyler  would 
meet  me  half-way  ?  Not  he  ;  he  is  as  stiff  as  a 
mule.  Well,  I'll  go  to  the  meeting,  as  I  prom- 
ised ;  but  it  will  be  the  last.  Suppose  any  of 
the  Tyler  set  should  speak  to  me  ?  But  they 
won't ;  they  hate  me  as  bad  as  I  hate  them  ; 
only  if  they  should  happen  to  speak,  and  Air. 
Niles  should  be  standing  bjr,  I  would  feel  queer 
to  turn  my  back  to  them.  I  wonder  if  it  is  true 
what  the  old  man  said,  when  he  was  dying,  about 
things  seeming  so  little  when  a  man  comes  to 
die?  The  fellow  has  succeeded  in  making  me 


Surprises.  187 

feel  awful  uncomfortable.  I  don't  believe  I'll 
go,  after  all." 

I  can  not  tell  how  many  times  the  disturbed 
mind  of  Mr.  Davis  traveled  over  the  same 
ground  and  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion.  But 
after  all,  the  next  Sabbath  afternoon  found  him 
at  the  school-house.  Meantime  Mr.  Niles  had 
made  one  or  two  other  visits,  which  were  not 
without  effect ;  and  Mr.  Davis  was  surprised, 
not  so  much  at  being  met  by  Mr.  Tyler  with  a 
hand  outstretched  as  at  the  words  that  trembled 
on  his  lips. 

"  Mr.  Davis,"  he  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you. 
It  is  a  late  acknowledgment,  but  I  will  say  that 
you  were  right  and  we  were  wrong  in  the  start- 
ing. We  could  have  warmed  the  room  much 
easier  and  more  uniformly  by  following  out  your 
ideas.  Will  you  accept  the  acknowledgment 
and  be  friends  ?  " 

Mr.  Davis'  sensations  at  that  moment  were 
strange.  What  could  he  say,  what  do,  but  ac- 
cept the  frank  acknowledgment,  shake  hands 
and  be  friends  ?  What  did  it  mean?  He  would 
never  have  owned  up  if  he  had  been  convinced 
that  he  was  wrong !  —  not  a  bit  of  it  I  —  and  he 


188  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

was  sure  it  was  not  like  Mr.  Tyler  to  do  so. 
The  explanation  came  later. 

"Will  Brother  Tyler  lead  us  in  prayer?" 
asked  the  leader  of  the  meeting. 

And  then  Mr.  Tyler's  voice  was  heard  in  ten- 
der, earnest  thanksgiving  and  pleading.  His 
old  enemy  sat  as  one  in  a  maze,  and  as  other 
voices  took  up  the  petition  he  grew  more  and 
more  bewildered.  Later  he  rose  and  said : 

"  I  would  like  to  say  a  word.  Some  things 
that  I  have  heard  here  to-night  have  surprised 
me.  I  find  that  things  have  been  going  on  here 
of  which  I  knew  nothiu'.  I  don't  want  you  to 
think  that  I  have  any  notion  of  getting  religious  ; 
but  I  will  say  there  seems  to  me  to  be  something 
in  a  religion  that  leads  a  man  to  say,  right  out, 
that  he  has  been  wrong.  You  take  a  man  as 
proud  as  Jack  Tyler  here,  and  there  must  be 
some  power  in  the  thing,  be  it  religion  or  some- 
thing else,  that  will  bring  down  sucli  a  man.  I 
am  glad  of  all  that  has  happened.  I  must  say 
that  it  is  not  pleasant  to  live  on  such  terms  with 
your  neighbors  that  you  can't  speak  to  them,  and 
are  always  shutting  up  their  cattle  and  watching 


Surprises.  189 

to  see  where  they  make  a  misstep ;  so  I  am  glad 
to  be  friends  with  you  all." 

A  few  weeks  afterward  Mr.  Davis  came  again 
into  the  little  meeting.  This  time  he  said,  with 
trembling  voice : 

"  The  first  time  I  came  among  you  I  said  that 
I  was  glad  to  be  at  peace  with  you  all ;  but  I 
find  that  is  not  enough —  I  need  to  be  at  peace 
with  God.  I  am  trying  to  make  my  peace  with 
an  offended  Lord.  Pray  for  me." 

Robert  Niles  was  learning  to  expect  answers  to 
his  prayers. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

CALLED  EARLY. 
"  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  with  thy  likeness." 


OW  God  was  preparing  the  way  for  the 
manifestation  of  his  power !  His  peo- 
ple were  more  prayerful ;  with  softened  hearts 
they  recalled  the  last  words  of  their  old  friend, 
Deacon  Barnard,  and  were  drawn  closer  together, 
filled  with  the  glowing  warmth  of  that  love 
which  casts  out  all  doubt,  and  fits  the  heart  for 
the  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  had  a 
growing  faith  in  God's  truth,  in  his  power  to  do 
for  them  all  that  they  should  ask,  arid  a  longing 
desire  to  see  the  salvation  of  the  Lord.  It  seemed 

190 


Called  Early.  191 

as  if  the  preaching  of  the  pastor  had  not  died 
away  upon  the  air,  but  was  still  resounding  in 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  his  people. 

Would  the  echoing  reach  the  many  hearts  that 
were  yet  closed  and  deaf  to  the  call  of  the 
Saviour  ? 

Some  such  question  pastor  and  people  were 
asking  themselves,  coming  together  often  to 
pray  and  counsel  with  each  other. 

Meantime  the  newly-awakened  spirit  of  love 
was  making  a  sure  progress  away  back  upon  the 
hill-side,  and  every  evening  in  the  week  the 
little  school-house  was  crowded  with  an  eager, 
interested  company.  At  first  Robert  Niles  and 
his  friend  Newton  Clark  led  the  meetings  ;  but 
they  found  that  it  was  indeed  God's  work.  One 
evening,  when  both  were  detained,  a  young  man, 
who  had  been  led  to  Christ  through  Mr.  Niles' 
efforts,  proved  to  have  grace  for  the  occasion, 
and  thereafter,  though  the  people  from  Court 
Street  often  went  out  to  join  their  friends  on  the 
hill,  it  was  that  they  might  catch  something  of 
that  spirit  that  was  so  manifestly  present  in  the 
dim,  crowded  place.  One  evening,  as  they  rode 
home,  Mr.  Hied  said  : 


192  Echoing  and  Re-echoing, 

"  I  have  been  thinking  how  the  work  prospers 
in  all  our  mission  fields.  Prof.  Graves  told  me 
this  morning  that  down  there  at  Harley's  there 
are  seven  or  eight  who  are  desirous  of  leading  a 
different  life,  and  out  in  the  Tanner  neighbor- 
hood there  is  an  unusual  interest,  while  the 
work  up  here  is  marvelous ;  and  yet,  in  the 
home  field,  we  see  little  fruit.  Are  we  neglect- 
ing things  there  in  our  zeal  for  this  outside 
labor?" 

"  I  think  not,"  returned  Mr.  Niles.  "  Excuse 
me,  but  I  think  we  do  see  signs  of  God's  favor, 
and  this  work  on  the  outskirts  may  be  but  the 
skirmishing  with  the  enemy  before  the  great 
battle  to  be  fought  out  at  headquarters.  I  do 
not  think  that  the  influences  of  the  Sabbath  be- 
fore last  are  going  to  die  away  without  a  greater 
blessing  than  we  have  yet  received." 

"  The  reconciliation  of  those  who  had  so  long 
been  enemies  is  certainly  a  great  blessing,  and 
one  to  be  profoundly  grateful  for ;  yet  I,  too, 
had  looked  for  one  to  follow  of  another  sort," 
said  the  pastor,  a  little  sadly. 

Strange  that  neither  of  them  thought  to  con- 


Called  Early.  193 

nect  the  work  upon  the  hill  with  the  events  of 
that  to-be-remembered  Sabbath ! 

They  rode  on  in  silence  for  a  time,  a  silence 
which  was  broken  by  Mr.  Ried,  who  asked  with 
a  tenderness  of  tone  : 

"  Do  you  think  that  Flora  is  growing  weaker?  " 

"Yes,  in  body;  but  her  spirit  grows  strong 
each  day.  I  think  she  is  almost  ready  to  go." 

Robert's  voice  trembled.  The  sister  who  was 
fading  was  very  dear  to  them  all.  They  would 
miss  the  sunny-faced  girl  who  always  had  a 
bright  word  for  everybody ;  the  invalid  mother 
would  miss  her  ;  the  brother,  to  whom  she  had 
been  growing  so  companionable,  would  miss  her ; 
and  of  the  friends  outside  the  family  circle, 
Helen  and  Tom  Betson  would  miss  her  perhaps 
more  than  any  one  else.  She  had  been  Helen's 
friend  and  confidant,  and  since  the  childhood 
days,  when  Tom  had  tucked  both  the  little  girls 
closely  upon  his  sled  and  whirled  them  down 
street  to  school,  he  had  taken  care  of  Flora  and 
made  her  almost  as  much  his  confidant  as  he  did 
his  own  sister. 

Upon  that  Sabbath  in  June  when  Helen 
prayed  for  "some  work  for  Christ,"  and  Tom 


194  Echoing  and    Re-echoing. 

asked  for  a  blessing  upon  their  parents,  Flora, 
sitting  beside  Helen,  prayed  : 

"  Make  me  more  like  thyself,  dear  Saviour. 
May  I  day  by  day  be  growing  into  thy  likeness." 

That  prayer  was  surely  being  answered  daily. 
Those  who  live  in  her  presence  watched  the 
ripening  of  her  character ;  and,  Robert  said,  the 
spirit  grew  strong  in  proportion  as  the  body  grew 
weak. 

It  was  three  weeks  after  Deacon  Barnard  was 
called  home  that  Flora  Niles  went  to  be  forever 
with  Christ.  These  were  her  oft  repeated  words, 
"  To  be  forever  with  Christ." 

They  had  not  thought  it  would  be  so  soon. 
Dr.  Vananden  hoped  she  might  live  until  spring, 
perhaps  even  longer ;  but  a  sudden  cold  seemed 
to  hasten  the  end,  and  the  prayer  was  answered, 
the  longing  of  her  soul  was  "  satisfied,"  for  she 
had  awakened  with  His  likeness  ! 

It  was  Thursday  afternoon  when  they  turned 
from  the  little  cemetery  chapel  where  they  left 
the  darling  among  the  flowers  and  vines.  Many 
were  the  tributes  offered  to  her  memory  as  they 
met  at  the  chapel  that  evening  —  tributes  offered 
in  homely  phrase  and  in  well-made  speech ; 


Called  Early.  195 

tributes  true  aud  tender ;  but  truer  and  tenderer 
than  these  was  the  tribute  of  tears,  while  no- 
bler and  of  more  worth  than  any  other  were 
those  of  high  resolve  and  firm  purpose  to  follow 
Him  whom  she  had  followed.  Said  the  pastor: 

"  The  going  out  of  these  two  from  among  us 
so  nearly  together,  one  in  old  age,  looking  back 
upon  a  long  life  of  service,  and  the  other  in 
youth,  just  beginning  the  Christian  life,  leads  us 
to  ask,  When  is  there  a  time  that  the  religion  of 
Christ  is  not  just  what  we  need  ?  The  dear  old 
father  in  Israel  found  it  a  good  thing  to  have  in 
that  hour,  when  the  messenger  came  suddenly 
to  call  him  to  meet  his  God.  Can  you  imagine 
what  that  call  would  have  been  to  that  old  man 
had  it  found  him  with  all  the  weight  of  sin,  of 
years  of  sin,  upon  him  ?  Would  you  wish  to  be 
one  to  stand  beside  the  death-bed  of  a  man  who 
had  lived  and  was  dying  in  sin  ?  It  has  been 
my  sad  duty  to  stand  by  one  such  and  try  to 
present  the  truths  of  the  gospel.  May  I  never 
be  called  upon  to  witness  another  such  a  death  I 

"And,  friends,  the  dear  young  sister  who  has 
just  gone  home  found  the  love  of  Christ  a  very 
precious  gift.  To  her  the  call  did  not  come  sud- 


196  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

denly,  as  to  our  old  friend;  but  none  the  less 
did  she  rejoice  that  she  had  made  Christ  her 
friend.  She  gave  him  her  young  life,  doubtless 
thinking  to  live  to  serve  him  here,  may  be  for 
long  years,  but  in  accepting  her  offering  it  was 
the  Master's  will  to  fit  it  for  his  immediate  pres- 
ence. As  she  saw  herself  surely  descending  into 
the  dark  valley  do  you  think  she  was  sorry  that 
her  soul  was  safe  in  the  Saviour's  keeping  ?  Oh, 
dear  friends,  who  have  not  made  her  Saviour 
your  Saviour,  will  you  take  the  first  step  to- 
night ?  Will  you  ?  " 

Some  were  ready  to  manifest  their  determina- 
tion ;  others  carried  away  thoughts  more  serious 
than  was  their  wont. 

Mr.  Norton  Graves  put  his  wife  into  the  sleigh 
and  drove  home  in  absolute  silence.  Not  until 
his  horse  was  cared  for,  the  doors  fastened  for 
the  night,  the  stoves  replenished,  and  he  had 
seated  himself  in  his  usual  place,  did  he  break 
the  silence.  Looking  up  he  caught  his  wife's 
anxious  look.  With  an  effort  he  began : 

"  Clara,  ever  since  that  Sabbath  when  we 
talked  of  Mr.  Ried's  sermon,  and  you  said  you 
were  going  to  begin  to  obey  the  command, '  Go 


Called  Early.  197 

work  '  — you  remember  how  I  laughed  at  you  — 
I  have  been  fighting  against  a  power  that  is 
mightier  than  I ;  and  to-night  I  have  laid  down 
my  arms.  I  would  have  spoken  down  there, 
only  I  wanted  to  tell  you  first." 

In  an  instant  Clara  Graves  was  at  her  hus- 
band's side !  What  thanksgivings  filled  the 
heart  of  the  wife !  She,  too,  remembered  that 
moment  of  silent  prayer. 

When  Norton  Graves'  voice  was  first  heard  in 
prayer  a  strange  thrill  ran  through  the  lecture- 
room.  The  scoffers  and  unbelievers  saw  that 
their  ranks  were  broken,  and  asked,  Who  shall 
be  the  next  to  break  away  ?  Norton  Graves  had 
been  one  of  their  most  powerful  allies,  an  edu- 
cated, cultivated  gentleman,  priding  himself 
upon  his  integrity,  his  high  moral  purposes,  yet 
denying  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Some  one  said  of 
him  in  Rachel  Elmer's  hearing : 

"  Norton  Graves  is  an  honorable  man.  He'd 
scorn  to  do  a  mean  thing." 

"  Humph  !  "  was  Miss  Elmer's  expressive  re- 
sponse. "  Talk  about  meanness,  when  a  man  is 
doing  the  meanest  thing  a  man  can  do,  denying 
Christ  1  His  whole  life  is  a  meanness  I " 


198  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

Never  had  he  seemed  to  his  wife  so  grand,  so 
noble,  as  when  he  stood  up  in  the  chapel  to  con- 
fess Christ ;  and  never  had  his  scoffing  friends 
admired  him  more. 

"  Well,  my  brother,  doubly  so  now,"  said  the 
Professor,  grasping  his  hand,  "God  seems  to 
know  how  to  take  care  of  his  own  work,  and  is 
quite  able  to  raise  up  workers  to  fill  the  places 
of  those  whom  he  calls  to  the  new  fields." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  the  other. 

"  Just  this,"  replied  the  Professor :  "  I  have 
been  thinking  for  some  time  of  taking  up  the 
work  of  a  lay  evangelist,  and  to-night  it  came 
upon  me  that  you  and  Clara  might  possibly  carry 
on  some  of  the  work  here  that  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  leave  and  which  seemed  to  hold  me  here." 

As  he  said  "  good-night "  the  Professor  added : 
"  I  think  I'll  come  out  on  Saturday.  I  have 
something  to  talk  over  with  you." 

"  All  right,"  returned  Norton,  while  Clara 
smiled,  guessing  what  was  the  "  something." 

With  no  small  measure  was  the  blessing 
poured  out  upon  this  people,  whose  hearts  were 
thus  prepared  for  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  faithful  preaching,  with  the  honest  endeavor 


Called  Early.  199 

on  the  part  of  the  people  to  carry  into  every-day 
life  the  practical  application  of  the  truths  pre- 
sented, now  brought  forth  much  fruit. 

The  pastor  himself  was  taking  long  strides 
forward,  reaching  out  after  those  wonderful  pos- 
sibilities presented  to  the  believer.  He  had  evi- 
dently entered  more  fully  into  that  life  of  end- 
less growth  which  leads  to  a  development  beyond 
our  conception.  He  had  learned  anew  the  secret 
of  victory. 

"  For  whatsoever  is  born  of  Godovercometh  the 
world ;  and  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh 
the  world,  even  our  faith." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

MRS.   MOSHEER  IS   DISTURBED. 

"  And  Saul  yet  breathing  out  threatenings  and  slaughtei 
against  the  disciples." 


[R.  and  Mrs.  Vananden  were  boarding 
at  Mrs.  Crosby's  fashionable  house,  on 
Park  Avenue.  It  was  not  because  they  were 
enamored  of  that  sort  of  life,  but  because  of  Mrs. 
Vauanden's  health  having  necessitated  a  change. 
They  had  first  spent  a  year  in  traveling,  and 
then,  upon  returning,  decided  to  board  for  a 
time,  that  the  invalid  might  be  more  free  from 
care  until  her  health  might  be  more  firmly  re- 
established. 

Mrs.  Crosby  was  very   particular   as   to  the 

200 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  20 

standing  of  those  whom  she  received  into  hei 
family.  To  be  able  to  put  "  No.  9,  Park  Avenue,' 
upon  your  cards,  was  to  be  assured  of  your  po- 
sition in  certain  circles.  It  gave  you  the  entree 
of  the  best  society ;  it  settled  the  question  of 
your  status,  mental,  moral  and  fashionable.  All 
this  mattered  very  little  to  Dr.  Vananden.  What 
was  more  to  the  point,  they  found  here  pleasant, 
homelike  rooms,  good  fare,  and  prompt  service, 
with  the  freedom  which  his  profession  demanded. 

Mrs.  Vananden  found  pleasant  acquaintances 
and  large  opportunities.  Among  the  boarders 
was  the  widow  of  Col.  Le  Grand,  who,  always 
stately  in  bombazine  and  folds  of  sheerest  mus- 
lin, patronized  the  Doctor's  wife,  who,  all  un- 
conscious of  the  patronage,  gave  merry,  spark- 
ling replies  to  the  measured  condescension  of 
the  elder  lady. 

Then  there  was  Mrs.  Moshier,  bright,  spark- 
ling, and  witty  as  Suddie  Vananden  herself,  a 
great  favorite  with  the  gentlemen,  of  whom  there 
were  perhaps  a  dozen  in  the  house,  belonging  to 
the  various  professions ;  there  were  no  clerks 
and  no  sewing  girls  who  found  a  home  with 
Mrs.  Crosby.  Sometimes  Mrs.  Vauanden  smiled 


202  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

within  herself  at  the  recollection  of  her  early 
life,  and  wondered  what  Mrs.  Le  Grand  would 
say  if  she  knew  that  the  lady  whom  she  called 
"  my  dear  friend,  Mrs.  Dr.  Vananden,"  had  spent 
busy,  hurried  days  in  the  kitchen  of  just  such  an 
establishment  as  Mrs.  Crosby's,  only  a  little  less 
pretentious !  That  she  had  rolled  pie-crust  that 
would  have  eclipsed  any  at  the  Crosby  House  in 
whiteness  and  flakiuess !  That  she  had  been 
cook,  chambermaid  and  school-girl  by  turns  ! 
How  Mrs.  Le  Grand  would  have  borne  the 
knowledge  that  the  lady  whom  she  pronounced 
a  model  of  refinement,  culture  and  grace,  had 
long  ago  mastered  the  art  of  using  the  broom  and 
duster,  and  understood  the  mysteries  of  the  dish- 
pan,  Mrs.  Vananden  often  tried  to  imagine. 

"I  am  afraid  you  are  sailing  under  false 
colors,"  said  the  Doctor,  one  day,  laughing. 
"Mrs.  Le  Grand  evidently  thinks  you  a  fine 
lady." 

"And am  I  not?"  was  the  laughing  reply.  "I 
know  what  you  mean.  I  have  just  ached  to  see 
the  look  of  incredulity  that  would  spread  over 
her  face,  to  be  followed  by  ail  expression  of 
scorn,  if  she  were  to  hear  that  my  mother  kept 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  203 

just  such  a  house  as  this  —  only  a  great  deal 
nicer." 

"Well,"  said  the  Doctor,  "if  you  think  it 
•would  be  so  interesting,  why  don't  you  tell 
her?" 

"  Just  because  I  never  had  an  opportunity." 

"  How  is  that?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"  Why,  just  think  of  it !  Fancy  Mrs.  Le 
Grand  allowing  the  conversation  to  take  a  turn 
that  would  lead  by  never  so  circuitous  a  route  to 
such  a  revelation  !  Why,  if  I  had  such  a  bit  of 
information  to  impart,  I  would  have  to  ask  for  a 
special  interview,  and  state  in  set  terms  that  the 
object  of  the  meeting  was  to  lay  before  her,  for 
her  august  consideration,  the  fact  that  I  once 
worked  for  a  living  !  " 

The  Doctor  laughed,  saying : 

"I  should  like  to  be  there  when  my  wife 
makes  a  set  speech." 

«  Well,"  said  the  wife,  "  I  like  Mrs.  Le  Grand, 
but  she  is  very  aristocratic,  certainly  ;  and,  then, 
I  fear  she  is  not  in  sympathy  with  the  most  of 
our  people  on  many  subjects.  I  really  do  not 
think  that  she  and  Mrs.  Moshier  are  exerting 
the  best  influence  upon  the  young  men  here. 


204  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

You  know  about  the  wine  supper  she  gave  last 
Thanksgiving?  " 

"  Yes,  I  remember." 

"  Well,  there  are  a  number  of  things,  like  that, 
which  don't  seem  quite  the  thing  for  a  Christian 
woman  to  do." 

"  I  know,"  replied  the  Doctor  ;  "  but  we  must 
remember  that  Mrs.  Le  Grand  belongs  to  a  gen- 
eration that  held  very  different  views  from  ours 
upon  many  topics ;  and  I  presume  that  she  is 
perfectly  sincere  in  her  Christian  profession." 

"But  Mrs.  Moshier?" 

"  Judge  not." 

"  Do  you  know  that  I  think  Mrs.  Moshier  is  a 
little  afraid  of  Professor  Graves'  keen  eyes? 
Since  he  came  here  to  board,  she  is  certainly 
more  cautious  in  her  remarks."  said  Mrs.  Van- 
anden.  After  a  pause,  she  continued:  "Don't 
you  think  the  Professor  has  changed  a  good 
deal?  I  never  thought  him  particularly  active 
as  a  Christian  worker  when  we  knew  him  before 
we  went  South." 

"  It  is  true,"  replied  Dr.  Vananden,  "  he  was 
not ;  and  I  have  noticed  the  change  which  you 
speak  of." 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  205 

"  I  am  glad  that  he  came  here.  I  used  to 
dread  going  to  the  table  when  you  were  away. 
There  was  so  much  in  the  style  of  conversation 
which  was  shockingly  irreligious ;  and  it  does 
seem  as  if  they  were  just  a  little  afraid  of  you 
and  the  Professor." 

Of  these  people,  whom  the  Doctor  and  his  wife 
were  discussing,  Mrs.  Le  Grand  and  Mrs.  Mo- 
shier  were  members  of  Court  Street  Church,  as 
were  one  or  two  of  the  gentlemen.  But  it  was 
true  that  they  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
pastor  and  the  more  spiritually  inclined  of  his 
people.  They  were  free  in  their  criticisms  of  Mr. 
Hied  and  his  measures.  One  day,  when  their 
remarks  were  unusually  severe,  little  Florette 
Moshier  took  it  upon  herself  to  administer  a 
rebuke. 

"  I  think  it  is  real  impolite  of  you  people  to 
talk  about  Mr.  Ried  when  he  is  Mrs.  Vanandeu's 
own  cousin  !  " 

"  Mrs.  Vananden's  cousin  !"  echoed  some  one. 

"  Yes,  he  is  !  She  told  me  so,  didn't  you  ?  " 
appealing  to  the  lady  herself. 

"  Yes,  I  told  you  so.  But,  Florette,  do  you 
think  that  to  be  one's  cousin  is  to  be  more  than 


206  Echoing  and   Re-echoing. 

to  be  one's  pastor?  "  said  Mrs.  Vananden,  smiling 
upon  the  little  girl. 

"  Why,  I  thought  so ;  but  I  don't  know.  Do 
you  mean  that,  seeing  he  is  my  pastor,  I  may 
love  him  as  well  as  if  he  were  my  cousin  ? " 
asked  Florette,  while  the  others  were  mentally 
making  their  own  application. 

"  I  think  you  ought,"  replied  the  lady. 

Mrs.  Moshier's  next  remark  was  made  in  a 
tone  which  was  a  trifle  sharper  than  usual.  This 
was  all  the  notice  she  condescended  to  take  of 
Miss  Florette 's  open  or  Mrs.  Vananden's  implied 
reproof. 

At  the  time  of  Deacon  Barnard's  death,  Mrs. 
Moshier  was  absent  from  the  city.  Upon  her  re- 
turn the  fact,  with  the  attendant  circumstances, 
was  related  to  her.  Her  remarks  were  highly 
characteristic. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  am  glad  I  was  away.  It 
must  have  been  very  disagreeable  for  the  con- 
gregation ;  at  least,  the  most  of  them.  I  think 
that  a  person  of  cultivated  mind  and  manner 
always  dreads  such  scenes." 

"  I  assure  you,  Mrs.  Moshier,"  said  Professor 
Graves,  "  that  it  was  a  very  delightful  scene , 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  207 

and  the  most  of  us  will  always  be  grateful  for  the 
privilege  of  being  present." 

"  Oh,  no  doubt !  I  believe  that  you  had  a 
part  in  the  bit  of  high  comedy.  Really,  Pro- 
fessor, you  must  excuse  me,  but  those  things  do 
seem  so  much  out  of  place." 

"  May  I  ask  what  things  ?  "  said  the  Professor, 
gravely. 

"  Why,  you  know ;  it  seemed  a  breaking  in 
upon  the  good  order  of  the  Sabbath  services," 
replied  the  lady,  a  trifle  embarrassed. 

"  Yes,  I  presume  they  said  something  like  that 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost." 

Here  one  or  two  gallant  young  gentlemen 
came  to  the  aid  of  their  favorite,  and,  content 
with  the  testimony  he  had  borne,  Professor 
Graves  did  not  choose  to  carry  his  part  of  the 
discussion  further. 

Presently  the  talk  turned  upon  the  religious 
interest  that  had  become  so  general  in  the  com- 
munity. 

"  Have  you  heard  Mr.  Parks  yet  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Lee,  addressing  Mrs.  Moshier,  and  referring  to 
an  evangelist  who  had  come  to  aid  the  pastors  of 


208  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

the  city  in  the  work  which  called  for  additional 
laborers. 

"Oh,  dear,  yes!  You  know  I  always  go  to 
the  regular  Thursday  evening  servive,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  liked  him  ?  " 

"  Oh,  what  he  had  to  say  was  all  well  enough ; 
but  I  think  our  pastor  could  have  done  quite  as 
well,"  was  the  careless  reply. 

"  Well,"  said  the  young  man,  "  I  shall  give 
church  a  rest  until  this  blows  over." 

"  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Lee,  you  ought  to  go  to  church 
on  Sabbath,  certainly,"  responded  Mrs.  Moshier, 
very  sweetly. 

"  That's  so,  Lee ;  Mrs.  Moshier  gives  orthodox 
advice,"  said  Dr.  Baumes,  from  the  lower  end  of 
the  table. 

"  But  I  do  ;  I  always  go  to  church.  You  know 
that,  Mrs.  Le  Grand.  I  have  missed  only  two 
Sabbath  mornings  since  I  came  here ;  one  of 
those  I  was  sick,  and  the  other  I  was  lazy." 

Mrs.  Le  Grand,  thus  appealed  to,  responded 
in  her  usual  stately  manner  : 

"  I  have  observed  that  our  friend  Mr.  Lee  is  a 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  209 

very  conscientious  attendant  upon  the  public 
services  of  the  sanctuary." 

"  But,"  pursued  Mr.  Lee,  "  I  think  that  one 
may  be  excused  for  letting  up  a  little  on  it  in 
these  days.  For  my  part,  I  think  the  whole 
proceeding  is  in  very  bad  taste,  Don't  you,  Mrs. 
Moshier  ?  " 

**  I  must  say,"  replied  that  lady,  "  that  I  should 
much  prefer  to  hear  my  own  pastor  to-morrow." 
Mrs.  Moshier  had  suddenly  grown  very  fond  of 
her  own  pastor ! 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Dr.  Baumes  "  that  Mr.  Ried 
should  have  allowed  himself  to  have  been  drawn 
into  such  an  arrangement." 

"  Yet,  we  read,  *  then  departed  Barnabas  to 
Tarsus,  for  to  seek  Saul ;  and  it  came  to  pass,  a 
'jehole  year  they  assembled  themselves  with  the 
church,  and  taught  much  people.'  Now  I  have 
never  heard  what  the  people  said  about  that 
arrangement ;  but  I  presume  there  were  some  to 
cavil  and  doubt  the  propriety." 

This  from  professor  Graves. 

"  Oh,  well  it  was  different,  then.  Now  we 
have  our  regular  pastor,  and  I  do  not  see  the 
necessity  for  all  this  stir." 


210  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"Not  even  that  the  multitude  outside  may  be 
saved?"  questioned  Mr.  Graves. 

"  But  think  of  it !  "  said  Mr.  Lee  ;  "  the  thing 
is  made  so  repulsive ;  this  man  conies  here 
heralded  by  the  newspapers;  sends  his  agent 
ahead,  and  while  he  preaches  in  one  room  the 
agent  is  busy  driving  bargains  in  hymn-books  in 
the  anteroom." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  we  are  responsible  for  the 
comments  of  the  newspaper  men,  though  I  con- 
fess my  inabilit}-  to  discover  anything  particu- 
larly objectionable  in  them,"  responded  Dr.  Van- 
anden. 

"  But  do  you  think  it  is  in  good  taste  ?  I  appeal 
to  Mrs.  Moshier.  Is  it  not  making  religion  a 
very  common  affair  ?  a  by-word  open  to  jest?  a 
target  for  the  scoffer  ?  " 

Mr.  Lee  seemed  suddenly  to  have  become 
very  jealous  of  the  honor  of  the  faith  which  he 
professed  —  nominally,  at  least. 

The  lady  to  whom  he  appealed,  replied : 
"  These  things  certainly  are  not  to  my  taste  and 
may  not  be  to  yours,  but,  perhaps,  the  newspaper 
publicity  may  not  be  so  offensive  to  others,  and 
our  remarks  might  jar  upon  them.  I  think  that 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  211 

our  better  course  is  to  keep  quietly  on  in  our 
usual  course,  and  give  others  the  privilege  of 
following  out  their  own  plans." 

"  But  if  these  plans  should  be  of  the  Lord  ?  " 
questioned  Dr.  Vauanden. 

"  I  doubt  if  the  Lord  has  much  to  do  with  this 
flourishing  of  trumpets,"  said  Mr.  Lee. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  rejoined  Mr.  Graves  ;  "  but  he 
has  had  to  do  with  trumpets." 

"Oh,  yes;  at  Jericho.  But  it  is  my  opinion 
that  there  will  have  to  be  louder  blowing  than 
any  this  Parks  can  do,  before  the  walls  of  this 
city  will  even  totter." 

"  Oh,  Mi1.  Lee,  you  are  getting  irreverent !  " 

Mrs.  Moshier's  rebuke  had  a  laugh  in  it,  which 
scarcely  added  to  its  effect  as  a  rebuke. 

Mr.  Lee  replied  :  "  Oh,  no  ;  I  intend  no  irrever- 
ence ;  but  I  do  not  like  the  way  things  are  being 
done  —  this  advertising  the  meetings,  and  send- 
ing an  agent  ahead,  and  all  that.  It  is  a  regular 
hippodrome  way  of  doing  things." 

There  was  a  little  murmur  of  dissent  on  the 
part  of  one  or  two  of  the  set;  but  the  most  of 
them  laughed  at  the  remark  of  Mr.  Lee.  Mr. 
Burgess,  who  was  an  avowed  infidel,  said: 


212  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Seems  to  me,  Lee,  that  you  are  not '  witnessing 
for  the  truth  '  as  your  sort  say." 

"  Mr.  Lee  lets  his  life  witness "  said  Dr. 
Baumes. 

As  Mr.  Lee  was  not  remarkable  for  strict 
uprightness  of  life,  this  remark  caused  a  loud 
laugh  around  the  table. 

"  Thanks ; "  and  Mr.  Lee  bowed  in  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  bit  of  sarcasm  that  sounded  like  a 
compliment,  though  not  understood  as  such; 
"  but  I  thiuk  I  am  witnessing  by  my  words  for  the 
truth  as  I  see  it.  I  am  sure  that  folly  and  super- 
stition in  the  Church  are  legitimate  subjects  for 
criticism." 

The  Doctor's  eyes  flashed ;  but  he  was  silent, 
•while  his  wife,  getting  roused,  spoke  quickly ; 
"  Then  you  consider  it  folly  to  save  souls  ?  " 

"  That  does  not  follow,"  returned  the  gentle- 
man ;  "  it  is  the  measures  that  I  object  to.  I 
should  not  care  to  be  classed  among  Mr.  Parks 
converts.  There  is  too  much  notoriety  about 
him." 

"Then,  when  you  go  to  the  seaside  next  sum- 
mer, if  you  happen  to  be  in  danger  of  drowning, 
you  wouldn't  wish  to  be  saved  by  Miss  Ida 


Mrs.  Moshier  Disturbed.  213 

Lewis,  because  you  would  be  classed  among  the 
number  whom  she  has  already  rescued  ;  and  you 
would,  unconsciously,  be  adding  to  her  noto- 
riety." 

"  I  should  scarcely  consider  that  an  illustration 
that  would  count  much  for  an  argument,"  was 
the  polite  reply  of  the  gentleman. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  it  struck  me  that  to  be 
consistent,  you  should  find  some  way  of  getting 
out  of  the  water  to  correspond  with  your  views 
upon  other  questions." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Lee  would  be  sure  to  keep  out  of  the 
water  unless  he  was  sure  of  an  orthodox  '  method ' 
of  getting  out,"  said  Mr.  Burgess. 

"  Yes,  we  all  know  that  Mr.  Lee  is  very  ortho- 
dox." This  from  Mrs.  Moshier. 

"  But  look  at  it !''  resumed  Mr.  Lee,  unwilling 
to  let  the  subject  drop  ;  "  if  religion  is  anything 
it  is  a  very  serious  matter ;  and  the  way  it  is  ad- 
vertised is  positively  disgusting." 

"  Then  because  it  is  a  serious  matter  it  should 
be  kept  from  the  multitude  ?  The  favored  few  of 
us  who  have  been  blessed  with  religious  training 
will,  of  course,  hear  the  announcements  of  any 
extra  services  from  the  pulpit ;  but  the  masses 


214  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

whom  these  workers  hope  to  reach,  how  are  they 
to  be  invited,  except  through  the  press  ?  " 

"  Why,  my  dear  Mrs.  Vananden,  do  you  not 
understand  that  this  is  just  what  our  friend  here 
objects  to  —  the  trying  to  reach  the  masses?  It 
is  the  fact  of  extra  meetings  that  so  vexes  his 

BOUl." 

"Now,  Dr.  Baumes,  that  is  not  fair  to  put  it 
that  way  ;  it  is  this  unwarrantable  intrusion  of  a 
stranger  which  I  dislike.  I  consider  it  an  impo- 
sition upon  the  taste  and  common  sense  of  the 
Christian  people." 

As  they  went  up  stairs  after  dinner,  Professor 
Graves  stopped  a  few  moments  in  Mrs.  Van- 
anden's  parlor. 

"  I  scarcely  know  whether  to  be  more  indig- 
nant or  more  sorrowful  when  I  think  of  those 
people  ;  to  think  of  professing  Christians  talking 
in  such  a  scoffing  manner !  " 

"  Well,  Professor,"  said  Sadie.  "  I  had  no  doubt 
at  all ;  I  am  just  as  indignant  as  I  can  be  every 
time  I  hear  them  talk  ;  I  think  they  outdid 
themselves  to-night.  But  did  you  notice  that 
Mr.  Kent,  usually  the  worst  scoffer  among  them, 
was  utterly  silent  ?  " 


Mrs.  MosJiier  Disturbed. 


215 


Dr.  Vananden  was  getting  into  his  rubbers 
and  overcoat.  "  Now,"  he  said,  winding  his  scarf 
about  his  throat,  "I  think,  Sadie,  that  I  shall 
not  be  around  in  time  to  go  down  to  church  with 
you,  but  will  join  you  there  ;  and  we  must  re- 
member that  the  grace  of  God  is  sufficient  even 
for  this :  to  bring  these  scoffing  ones  to  a  sense 
of  their  folly  and  sin." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

LEAVING  THE  BANKS. 

"  Ye  have  said,  It  is  vain  to  serve  God:  and  what  profit 
is  it  that  we  have  kept  his  ordinances  ?  " 


H  E  bell  of  Court  Street  Church  rang  out 
an  invitation  for  all ;  its  clear  tones 
penetrated  the  homes  of  those  who  never  went 
to  church  at  all.  'To  some  of  these  the  old  bell, 
which  they  had  heard  hundreds  of  times,  pealing 
out  the  same  call,  seemed  to-night  to  speak  to 
them,  saying,  "  Come  !  "  Some  who  had  never 
thought  of  the  call  being  addressed  to  them- 
selves, almost  seemed  to  hear  their  own  names 
in  the  invitation.  So  surely  does  the  Spirit  put  a 
new  voice  into  old  familiar  sounds  I  Words 

216 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  217 

which  have  been  passed  unnoticed;  pictures 
which  have  had  no  meaning ;  glances  and  start- 
ing tears  which  have  only  excited  wonder ;  into 
any  or  all  of  these  the  Spirit  sometimes  puts  a 
power  that  reaches  out  and  takes  hold  of  men 
who  seem  almost  beyond  reach.  And  that  even- 
ing, even  on  the  threshold  of  a  drinking-saloon, 
the  steps  of  some  were  staj^ed,  and  turned 
toward  home  and  heaven,  by  the  pleading  voice 
of  that  church  bell. 

And  yet,  Mrs.  Moshier,  in  her  daintily-appoint- 
ed room,  heard  that  bell,  and  for  her  it  had  no 
message.  Alilhadit  none?  or  was  she  one  of 
those  who  having  ears  hear  not  ?  Mrs.  Le 
Grand,  passing  her  door,  which  stood  open,  halt- 
ed a  moment. 

"  Are  you  going  to  church,  Mrs.  Moshier?  " 

"  Oh,  my  I  no  ;  I  might  better  stay  away.  I 
don't  wish  to  be  severe  in  my  criticisms,  and  if  I 
do  not  go  I  shall  have  less  occasion  for  criticism." 

"  Well,  if  you  have  no  engagement,  will  you 
come  to  my  room  for  an  hour  ?  We  will  have  a 
few  games  of  whist,  and  Dr.  Baumes  and  Mr. 
Burgess  will  join  us." 


218  'Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

'-•  That  will  be  pleasant !  I  will  come  thank 
you." 

Mr.  Burgess  heard  the  bell  in  his  room,  and 
paused  for  a  moment  in  his  reading.  "  I  sup- 
pose," he  thought,  "that  I  might  as  well  go 
down  and  hear  what  that  man  has  to  say.  I  do 
not  fear  the  effect.  My  opinions  are  too  firmly 
established  to  be  easily  disturbed,  and  it  may  be 
that  he  will  have  something  to  say  that  will  give 
subject  for  thought.  They  say  he  is  a  splendid 
reasoner." 

Still  that  bell !  "  I've  half  a  mind  to  go  down 
a  little  while.  I  believe  I  will." 

He  had  just  risen  to  put  on  his  coat,  when. 
Mrs.  Le  Grand  appeared  at  his  door. 

"I  came,"  she  began,  in  her  most  agreeable 
manner,  "  to  ask  you  to  help  a  lonely  old  woman 
to  pass  away  an  evening.  Will  you  join  Mrs. 
Moshier  and  Dr.  Baumes  in  a  game  of  whist?" 

Still  that  bell !  But  its  tone  had  changed. 
The  call  was  not  nearly  so  full  of  pleading.  The 
face  of  the  elegant  woman  standing  in  his  door- 
way ;  the  invitation  she  brought;  the  prospect 
of  an  evening  with  the  fascinating  young  woman, 
whose  favor  all  the  gentlemen  boarders  were 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  219 

anxious  to  gain ;  these  considerations  quite 
drowned  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  that  would  have 
led  the  listener  into  the  place  where  the  word 
was  being  spoken  with  power. 

That  very  evening,  as  Dr.  Vananden  was  pass- 
ing down  the  hall,  he  met  Mrs.  Moshier,  and 
stopping  for  a  little  talk,  they  drifted,  as  most 
people  did  in  those  days,  to  the  subject  that  was 
engrossing  attention  so  largely.  In  the  course  of 
the  talk,  the  doctor  said : 

"I  think,  Mrs.  Moshier,  that  you  might,  or, 
rather,  you  do  have  a  powerful  influence  upon 
the  young  gentlemen  of  the  house.  It  is  a  great 
power  put  into  your  hands ;  I  trust  that  you  may 
have  grace  to  use  it  wisely." 

And  Mrs.  Moshier  had  only  bowed  in  her 
most  gracious  manner  and  replied,  lightly :  u  In- 
deed ;  Dr.  Vananden,  you  greatly  overestimate 
my  influence.  I  do  not  suppose  that  my  opinion 
has  a  feather's  weight  with  any  of  them." 

"  You  are  not  speaking  with  your  usual  can- 
dor Mrs.  Moshier,"  returned  the  Doctor.  "You 
can  not  be  unaware  of  the  gift  which  God  has 
given  you,  by  which  these  friends  of  ours  are 


220  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

attracted  and  held.  So  I  say,  use  jour  power 
for  good." 

All  this  was  said  so  courteously,  and  the  two 
were  so  well  acquainted,  that  no  offense  could 
possibly  be  taken.  But  the  Doctor's  words 
lingered  with  the  lady,  and  someway  the  even- 
ing seemed  unaccountably  long  and  the  game 
unusually  dull. 

"  Where  is  Dr.  Baunies  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Mo- 
shier,  when  Mr.  Burgess  came  in  alone. 

"  Oh  I  Mrs.  Vananden  nabbed  him  and  made 
off  with  him,  before  I  got  around  to  do  Mrs.  Le 
Grand's  bidding,"  replied  Mr.  Burgess. 

"  But  Mr.  Lee  will  make  up  the  party,"  said 
Mrs.  Le  Grand;  and  presently  Mr.  Lee  saun- 
tered in.  That  was  Mr.  Lee's  usual  manner  of 
locomotion.  He  always  sauntered  along  as 
though  the  world  held  no  responsibilities  for 
him.  The  son  of  a  rich  father,  he  had  never 
been  called  upon  to  exert  himself.  His  natural 
abilities  had  helped  him  over  some  hard  places, 
and  he  had  passed  around  the  rest  in  his  loung- 
ing way.  To-night,  in  Mrs.  Le  Grand's  hand- 
some private  parlor,  he  was  in  a  hilarious  mood. 
Since  the  evening  when  he  had  taken  such  a 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  221 

strong  position  against  the  measures  of  his  pas- 
tor, he  had  been  growing  reckless,  frequenting 
places  of  amusement,  getting  up  something  to 
fill  up  the  evenings,  as  if  to  keep  the  other  young 
men  from  the  meetings.  Now  he  was  planning 
a  sleigh-ride,  that  should  be  the  grandest  thing 
of  the  season.  "  Will  to-morrow  night  do  ?  "  he 
asked,  addressing  Mrs.  Moshier. 

"  I  should  not  like  to  join  you  on  Thursday 
evening,"  was  the  reply. 

"Why?  Oh!  I  remember ;  you  always  go  to 
church  on  Thursday  evenings.  But  now  that 
there  are  meetings  every  evening,  I  don't  see 
why  you  are  required  to  go  on  Thursday  any 
more  than  any  other  day,"  said  Mr.  Burgess. 

"  I  am  not  responsible  for  the  extra  meetings; 
I  do  not  believe  in  them ;  and  consider  them 
quite  uncalled  for.  But  I  do  believe  in  the 
weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  always  make  it  a  rule 
to  go.  The  innovations  of  Mr.  Ried  and  this 
strange  gentleman  do  not  affect  my  duty  in  the 
matter." 

Now,  Mrs.  Moshier  thought  that  she  was  dis- 
playing her  Christianity  to  an  excellent  advan- 
tage, and  Mr.  Lee  looked  and  listened  admiringly. 


222  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

but  Mr.  Burgess  could  not  fail  to  see  the  incon- 
sistency of  her  way  of  talking  and  doing.  He 
didn't  believe  much  in  any  of  it,  but  he  liked  to 
see  people  up  to  their  profession.  That  was 
about  what  he  said  to  himself,  but  he  said  aloud, 
turning  to  Mr.  Lee  and  laughing  :  "  Well,  Lee, 
there  is  an  example  for  you  ;  you  belong  to  the 
same  church.  I  should  think  you  ought  to  re- 
member Thursday  evening." 

Mrs.  Moshier  fancied  that  she  detected  a 
peculiar  emphasis  upon  the  "  Thursday,"  but  she 
might  have  been  mistaken. 

"Well,  then,  we  will  say  Friday  evening. 
We  w.ill  start  from  the  Curtis  House  at  7 
o'clock." 

"  Why,  Lee !  you  are  too  audacious.  Don't 
you  remember  that  the  Curtis  House  is  next  to 
Court  Street  Church,  and  seven  is  the  hour  for 
the  meetings.  What  if  Mr.  Ried  should  happen 
to  be  going  to  church  just  as  you  are  getting 
started  ?  " 

"  Well,  what  of  it  ?  I  guess  if  we  want  to  go 
out  to  Clarksville  and  help  them  with  their 
meetings  we  can  do  so,"  and  he  laughed  wick- 
edly. 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  223 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  hope  of  getting  Norton 
Graves  to  join  us,"  said  Mr.  Burgess. 

"Dear  me  !  no.  He  is  hopelessly  entangled  in 
the  net  that  Mr.  Ried  has  so  skillfully  spread. 
For  my  part,  I  believe  most  emphatically  in 
religion,  but  I  don't  believe  in  fanaticism." 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Burgess,  "  Graves  is  a  good 
fellow ;  I  hate  to  give  him  up." 

"Yes,  and  now  they  have  got  hold  of  the 
Doctor ;  next  you  know  he  will  be  another  fa- 
natic. He  is  made  of  just  the  right  stuff." 

Mr.  Lee  said  this  with  a  contemptuous  tone, 
adding :  "  I  tell  you  the  best  way  is  to  keep 
away,  if  you  don't  want  to  be  drawn  in." 

Meantime  Dr.  Baumes  sat  beside  Mrs.  Van- 
anden,  listening  to  Mr.  Parks.  If  the  minister 
had  known  of  his  presence,  and  of  the  peculi- 
arities of  his  belief,  or  rather  of  his  unbelief,  he 
could  not  have  chosen  his  subject  more  appropri- 
ately. The  effect  of  the  sermon  upon  the  skep- 
tical hearer  was  manifest  the  next  morning.  Mr. 
Lee  began  the  conversation  : 

"  Well,  Doctor,  you  went  to  hear  the  great  guq 
last  night." 

"  I  did,"  was  the  brief  reply. 


224  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  And  how  do  you  like  him  ?  " 

"  So  well  that  I  shall  hear  him  again  this  after- 
noon, if  possible." 

"Whew!"  This  was  Mr.  Lee's  expressive 
response.  Mrs.  Vananden  gave  her  husband  one 
glance  and  met  his  look,  which  she  knew  how  to 
interpret.  It  said :  "  God  be  praised."  They 
felt  as  did  the  others,  who  saw  in  it  no  cause  for 
thankfulness,  that  once  interested  Dr.  Baumes 
would  not  rest  until  he  hud  satisfied  himself  as 
to  the  truth. 

Two  days  later,  as  they  were  at  breakfast,  Mrs. 
Moshier,  laughingly,  called  upon  Dr.  Baumes  to 
give  them  his  candid  opinion  of  the  meetings. 

"  My  candid  opinion  is  that  they  are  a  power 
for  good  iii  this  community ;  that  the  results  can 
never  be  summed  up  here."  He  hesitated  a 
moment.  Mrs.  Vananden  leaned  forward.  He 
went  on,  after  a  brief  pause  :  "  Probably  it  will 
save  me  from  future  embarrassment,  and  prevent 
misunderstandings,  if  I  state  here,  that  I  am  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  Christianity  ;  and,  further- 
more, I  am  henceforth  an  avowed  disciple  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Utter  silence  fell  upon  the  group  for  half  a 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  225 

minute.  Mr.  Lee  proved  equal  to  the  occasion. 
Rising  from  the  table  he  passed  around  to  Dr. 
Baurnes'  side,  and  holding  out  his  hand  said,  with 
a  tremor  in  his  voice  :  "  Doctor,  I  am  very  glad 
to  greet  you  as  a  brother  Christian." 

Almost  any  one  else  would  have  sajd  "  brother 
in  Christ ; "  but  I  doubt  if  at  that  time  Mr.  Lee 
had  any  definite  ideas  of  what  it  is  to  dwell  in 
Christ,  or  to  have  the  presence  of  Christ  indwell- 
ing in  the  heart. 

He  did  not  resume  his  seat,  but  left  the  room 
immediately.  He  did  not  appear  at  dinner,  and 
no  one  knew  what  had  become  of  him.  One  of 
the  boarders  had  been  to  his  office  and  found  it 
locked.  He  had  not  been  seen  since  he  left  the 
breakfast-table.  He  and  Mr.  Burgess  were  in 
the  habit  of  meeting  at  the  same  table  in  a  down- 
town restaurant,  for  lunch,  but  he  had  not  been 
there.  Of  course  his  absence  was  the  subject  of 
much  comment ;  some  laughingly  suggesting 
one  thing  and  some  another. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norton  Graves,  with  Lydia 
Elmer,  were  stopping  at  the  Crosby  House  for  a 
few  hours.  As  the  Professor  and  his  brother 
went  up-stairs,  Mr.  Lee  met  them  in  the  upper 


226  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

hall.  He  was  pale,  and  his  usual  complacency 
was  evidently  much  disturbed. 

"  We  missed  you  at  dinner,"  said  Professor 
Graves ;  "  are  you  not  well  ?  " 

"  Are  you  going  to  the  meeting  to-night  ? " 
was  the  irrelevant  response. 

"Yes,  I  intend  to.  Can  I  do  anything  for 
you?" 

Mr.  Lee  had  followed  the  brothers  into  the 
Professor's  room,  and  thrown  himself  into  a  sofa 
corner. 

"  Well,  if  you  will  take  me  I'll  go  with  you," 
said  he,  with  a  faint  laugh.  "  I  suppose  you'll 
think  it  strange,  but  I  have  suddenly  grown 
wonderfully  interested  in  this  Mr.  Parks.  I  be- 
lieve I'll  go  and  hear  him." 

"  Well,  are  you  going  without  your  dinner?  " 
asked  Mr.  Graves. 

"  Perhaps  I'll  get  a  cup  of  tea,"  replied  Mr. 
Lee  ;  "  I  have  not  had  lunch  to-day,  but  —  well, 
to  tell  the  truth,  I  did  not  dare  to  go  to  dinner." 

In  reply  to  the  inquiry  which  his  companions 
looked,  Mr.  Lee  continued :  "  It  is  a  rather  hu- 
miliating confession,  but  I  am  afraid  of  Mrs.  Mo- 
shier.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  a  course 


Leaving  The  Ranks.  227 

which  I  mean  to  follow,  and  I  am  certain  that  she 
would  throw  me  off  the  track.  She  has  already 
lead  me  farther  than  I  meant  to  go.  I  wonder  if 
she  realizes  the  mischief  she  is  doing  right  here 
in  this  house  ?  " 

"I  am  afraid  not,"  returned  the  Professor, 
sadly  ;  "but  my  brother,  I  am  thankful  that  you 
are  breaking  away.  Do  you  mean  that  you  are 
ready  to  renew  your  vows  of  allegiance  to 
Christ?" 

"  Just  that.  I  have  this  day  given  myself 
anew  to  him." 

"  Thank  God  I  "  The  brothers  spoke  the  words 
in  one  breath,  and  Norton  grasped  the  hand  of 
his  friend,  who  added :  "  Dr.  Baumes'  bold  de- 
claration this  morning  unnerved  me.  I  have 
shut  my  ears  against  the  call  of  that  church  bell 
for  several  days,  all  the  time  feeling  that  it  was 
calling  me,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  I  should  have 
yielded,  had  it  not  have  been  for  the  Doctor ; 
and  even  now,  if  I  were  to  meet  that  woman,  and 
listen  to  one  of  her  slighting  speeches  about  the 
methods  of  Mr.  Ried  and  his  associate,  I  am  not 
sure  but  Satan  might  get  the  better  of  me.  Any- 
way, I  don't  want  to  meet  her  until  I  have  com- 


228  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

mitted  myself  on  the  other  side.  It  must  seem 
like  weakness  to  you,  but  I  am  weak." 

"  Then  are  you  strong,"  said  Professor  Graves, 
fervently. 

In  the  service  of  song  which  preceded  the 
sermon,  one  voice  rang  out  clear  and  firm,  thrill- 
ing the  hearts  of  those  who  recognized  it  as  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lee.  Especially  did  he  sing  with 
fervor  the  hymn : 

"  One  more  day's  work  for  Jesus ; 
One  less  of  life  for  me ; 

But  heaven  is  nearer, 

And  Christ  is  dearer 
Than  yesterday  to  me ; 

His  love  and  light 

Fill  all  my  soul  to-night" 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

MB.   HA  TILE  Y  SPEAKS. 
"  Others  mocking  said,  These  men  are  full  of  new  wine." 


T.  L.  Harley  will  speak  in  the  lecture- 
room  of  this  church,  this  afternoon  at 
three  o'clock,  upon  the  subject  of  temperance, 
relating  something  of  his  own  wonderful  experi- 
ence ;  telling  how  God  had  led  him,  bringing  him 
up  out  of  a  horrible  pit  into  the  light  of  Christ's 
salvation." 

This  simple  announcement,  made  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Ried  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  was  very  differently 
received  by  the  different  classes  of  people  who 

heard  it. 

229 


230  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

The   winter  had  slipped  away,  as  all  winters 
will,  and  summers  too.     There  were  many  to  re- 
joice with  the  glad-hearted  pastor  of  Court  Street 
Church,  many  who  had  been  quickened  into  new- 
ness of  life,  many  who,  for  the  first  time,  had 
learned  of  a  Saviour's  love  ;  and  there  were  those 
who,  surrounded  by  the  same  gracious  influences 
as  these,  sitting  by  their  side,  listening  to  the 
same  message,  but  hearing  with  unwilling  ears, 
were  forced  to  take  up  the  lamentation,  "  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  has  passed  by ! "     Into  some  house- 
holds there  had  come  unity  of  purpose   where 
before  had  come  that  spirit  which,  while  uniting 
the  children  of  God,  makes  the  distinction  marked 
between  those  who  put  Christ  first  and  those 
who  give  the  world  the  best  of  their  thoughts  and 
the  most  of  their  time. 

At  the  Crosby  House  Mrs.  Moshier  still  held 
her  sway  over  the  larger  part  of  the  boarders, 
though  her  power  over  some  of  the  most  devoted 
of  her  admirers  was  broken.  Mr.  Lee  having 
given  himself  anew  to  Christ,  Mrs.  Moshier 
sneers  at  the  fanatic,  and  her  expressed  "  horror  " 
at  the  astonishingly  poor  taste  exhibited  by  the 
most  successful  Christian  workers,  were  insuf- 


Mr.  Harley  Speaks.  231 

ficient  to  move  him;  and  as  for  Dr.  Baumes, 
Mrs.  Mosliier  declared  that  he  was  the  worst 
fanatic  of  the  lot. 

"  Who  is  this  Mr.  T.  L.  Harley  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Moshier,  as  the  boarders  met  at  dinner. 

"  Why  I  don't  you  know  Mr.  Harley  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Burgess,  in  surprise. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  heard  of  him  be- 
fore this  morning,"  returned  the  lady.  "  I  judge 
by  your  tone  that  I  am  betraying  an  ignorance 
that  is  quite  astonishing ;  but  you  must  remem- 
ber that  I  have  never  been  familiar  with  the  sort 
of  people  that  I  judge  this  man  to  be  from  Mr. 
Ried's  remark.  So,  if  it  is  at  all  worth  while  to 
know,  you  will  have  to  enlighten  me  on  the  sub- 
ject." 

"But,  surely  you  have  heard  of  the  Harley 
Mission  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  that  enterprise  of  trying  to  civil- 
ize those  barbarians  down  by  the  depot?  But 
you  don't  mean  to  say  that  this  T.  L.  Harley  is 
any  connection  of  the  Harleys  down  there  ?  " 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Moshier,  how  can  you  be  so 
stupid?  And  where  have  you  been  all  these 
last  months  that  you  have  not  been  cognizant  of 


232  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

the  progress  of  the  world,  and  especially  of  that 
small  corner  of  it  hemmed  in  by  the  depot  on  one 
side  and  the  river  on  another?  Don't  you  know 
that  old  Tim.  Harley  has  been  converted,  and 
the  good  people  who  have  been  assisting  in  the 
matter  have  discovered  that  his  peculiar  forte  is 
public  speaking  ?  The  gentleman  to  whom  you 
are  expected  to  listen  this  afternoon  is  none  other 
than  old  Tim.  Harley." 

"  That  old  vagabond !  What  can  Mr.  Ried  be 
thinking  of?" 

"  You  forgot,  Mrs.  Moshier,  that  he  is  no  longer 
a  vagabond,  if  he  ever  could  be  classed  with 
such.  He  has  regained  his  manhood,  and  though 
not  an  elegant  speaker,  can  tell  his  story  simply 
and  effectively." 

It  was  Professor  Graves'  calm  tones  that  con- 
veyed this  explanation  to  Mrs.  Moshier.  The 
Professor's  calmness  always  aggravated  that  lad}', 
and  she  answered  sharply : 

"  I  beg  pardon.  I  forgot  that  it  was  an  enter- 
prise in  which  you  were  especially  interested, 
this  diving  down  into  the  scums  of  earth  after 
treasures." 

"  You  have  exactly  the  right  word,  Mrs.  Mo- 


Mr.  Harley  Speaks.  233 

shier,"  said  the  Professor.  "  There  is  a  treasure 
in  every  besotted  victim  of  intemperance,  aud  it 
is  a  glorious  work  to  redeem  and  polish  the 
treasure,  and  fit  it  to  shine  a  star  in  heaven  ;  and, 
my  friend,  it  is  a  work  that  the  Lord  permits  us 
to  have  a  hand  in !  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  object  to  your  preaching  temper- 
ance to  those  people,  but  I  really  don't  want 
them  to  set  themselves  up  to  preach  to  me  ! 
And  I  think  it  is  a  queer  thing  for  Mr.  Ried  to 
do,  this  holding  an  extra  Sabbath  service  for 
the  sake  of  giving  Tim.  Harley  a  chance  to 
practice  his  declamation ! " 

"  Mrs.  Moshier,  how  can  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  now,  Professor  Graves,  don't  be  shocked. 
You  know  I  don't  approve  of  a  great  many 
things  which  seem  to  you  very  right  and  proper, 
and  why  can't  you  let  me  go  on  holding  my  own 
views  and  saying  what  I  like  ?  You  know  by 
this  time  that  I  have  no  sympathy  with  anything 
sensational." 

"  Ah !  Well,  I  suppose  that  some  of  Peter's 
preaching  seemed  sensational  to  the  Jews ;  and 
I  remember  that  very  few  of  them  were  in  sym- 
pathy with  it." 


234  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

With  this  remark  the  Professor  left  the  table. 

"  What  a  very  singular  man  the  Professor  is," 
remarked  Mrs.  Moshier,  very  complacently. 
"  He  has  such  extreme  views.  I  always  had  a 
prejudice  against  eccentricity." 

"Mamma,"  said  Florette,  "maybe  Professor 
Graves  thinks  that  you  have  extreme  views. 
You  always  seem  to  be  just  as  far  away  from  his 
ideas  as  you  can  be.  Aren't  there  two  extremes  to 
everything  ?  " 

"  There,  Mrs.  Moshier,  what  can  you  say  to 
that  reasoning  ?  Pretty  well  for  Florette,"  and 
Mr.  Burgess  laughed  and  pulled  the  long  curls 
which  hung  over  the  back  of  the  little  girl's 
chair. 

It  was  a  simple,  straightforward  story  that  Mr. 
Harley  had  to  tell.  He  had  been  a  notorious 
drunkard  until,  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Graves, 
he  was  induced  to  take  the  pledge.  That  was  a 
happy  day  for  his  wife.  "  Oh,"  said  she,  "  I  have 
been  praying  for  this  these  fifteen  years.  I  knew 
the  Lord  would  hear,  and  he  has,  praised  be  his 
name  I  "  But  that  was  not  all.  At  the  meetings, 
at  what  had  come  to  be  known  as  the  Harley 
Mission,  among  the  first  to  ask  the  way  of  life  was 


Mr.  Harley   Speaks.  235 

Tim.  Harley  himself;  and  then,  again,  said  the 
wife,  "  I  have  been  praying  for  this  these  fifteen 
years.  The  Lord  has  heard,  praised  be  his 
name  ?  " 

As  Professor  Graves  sat  listening  to  the  well- 
dressed  man  who  told  his  story  so  forcibly,  he 
scarcely  realized  that  it  was  the  same  individual 
who  lay  beastly  drunk  in  a  corner  of  a  room  the 
first  time  he  went  down  to  that  forsaken  quarter 
in  response  to  the  request  of  Mrs.  Harley.  And 
as  he  reviewed  his  own  labors  there,  and  thought 
of  the  wonderful  blessings  which  had  come  upon 
those  people,  he  too  said,  "  Praised  be  his  name  ?  " 

Said  Mr.  Harley :  "  I  never  knew  what  it  was 
to  be  sober,  for  years.  I  drank  when  I  got  up  ; 
I  drank  before  breakfast,  and  after  breakfast; 
before  dinner,  and  after  dinner ;  before  supper, 
and  after  supper ;  when  I  went  to  bed ;  when  I 
had  extra  work  to  do,  and  when  I  had  nothing  to 
do ;  and,  besides,  I  took  a  few  drinks  between 
times.  I  drank  up  a  house  and  lot,  a  good  farm, 
besides  railroad  stocks  and  bonds.  I  lost  the  re- 
spect of  my  fellow-men  as  well  as  my  self-respect. 
I  was  more  like  a  brute  than  a  man  ;  aye,  I  made 
myself  lower  than  the  brutes,  for  they  fulfill  the 


236  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

purpose  of  their  creation :  while  I  —  Oh,  my 
friends,  I  was  making  a  fiend  of  myself.  I  drank, 
and  I  cursed ;  I  made  my  home  a  horrid  den  of 
wretchedness;  but  my  dear  wife  stood  by  me 
through  all,  and  by  her  prayers  held  me  back 
from  destruction.  Then  God  sent  me  another 
friend ; "  and  then  he  went  on  to  tell  of  the  little 
prayer-meetings,  and  to  relate  the  wonderful  way 
in  which  he  had  been  led  out  of  the  darkness. 
Perhaps,  if  Mrs.  Moshier  had  not  been  so  preju- 
diced against  "  extra  services,"  that  she  could  not 
be  prevailed  upon  to  go  to  hear  Mr.  Harley,  she 
might  have  been  convinced  that  what  she  sneering- 
ly  called  a  declamation  was  not  devoid  of  interest, 
and  in  no  way  shocking  to  good  taste.  There 
were  those  who  could  join  in  the  rejoicing  of  the 
angels  ove,r  one  sinner  converted  to  God. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Lydia  Graves  stood 
in  the  doorway  of  Mrs.  Vananden's  parlor,  quite 
early  one  morning. 

"And  so  you  are  really  going  to  move?"  she 
asked,  watching  Mrs.  Vananden  as  she  tenderly 
wrapped  Ester's  portrait  in  many  folds  of  soft 
paper  before  transferring  it  to  the  man  who  was 
assisting  her. 


Mr.  Harley  Speaks.  237 

"  Yes,  we  are.  Come  in.  The  other  room  is 
not  torn  up  ye\ ;  I  think  we  can  find  a  place  to 
sit  down  there,"  and  Mrs.  Vananden  led  the  way 
into  the  back  parlor.  Continuing :  "  It  is  a 
rather  sudden  move  at  last,  though  we  have  con^ 
templated  it  fora  long  time.  On  many  accounts 
it  is  very  comfortable  here  ;  but  there  are  things 
that  make  it  almost  unendurable  at  times.  Lydia, 
just  think  of  coming  in  from  prayer-meeting  to 
hear  the  click  of  wine-glasses  as  we  pass  the 
doors,  which  are  almost  always  left  open ;  and 
then  think  of  being  obliged  to  hear  until  late  at 
night,  often  until  long  after  midnight,  the  jokes 
and  laughter  of  a  card  party  in  the  next  room, 
and  especially  these  warm  evenings,  when  the 
windows  as  well  as  doors  are  to  be  left  open." 

"  It  must  be  very  unpleasant,"  remarked 
Lydia. 

"  But  the  worst  is  Sundays.  The  pain  of  that 
is  dreadful.  At  dinner  the  nature  of  the  conver- 
sation is  often  such,  that  I  positively  declare  that 
it  would  not  pain  me  more  to  listen  to  the  swear- 
ing of  the  worst  pirate  crew  that  ever  sailed  ! " 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Vauanden  1" 

"It  is  true  I     I  don't  know  that  irreverence 


238  Echoing  and    Re-echoing. 

and  Sabbath-breaking,  or  scoffing  and  blas- 
phemy, are  any  less  a  sin  or  any  less  shocking 
when  clothed  in  silk  and  lace  or  fine  broadcloth. 
It  is  so  very  unpleasant  to  have  to  listen  to 
sneers  directed  towards  the  cause  we  love,  that 
we  have  decided  to  go  where  people  love  and 
serve  the  same  Saviour."  After  a  moment's  pause 
Mrs.  Vauandeu  continued,  in  a  softer  tone  :  "  Not 
that  I  would  unchristian  those  in  the  house  who 
profess  to  love  the  Saviour.  But  while  their 
views  and  practices  are  so  diametrically  opposite 
to  our  own,  upon  almost  every  point  connected 
with  Christian  life  and  Christian  work,  there  can 
be  very  little  sympathy  among  us." 

"  But,"  said  Lydia,  "  it  seems  to  me  that  they 
are  lacking  in  common  politeness." 

"So  they  are,  as  I  think;  but  they  call  us  fa- 
natics, and  do  not  reckon  our  opinions  as  worthy 
of  consideration,"  said  Mrs.  Vananden,  laughing  a 
little. 

"  Well,  I  supposed  that  really  polite  people  re- 
garded the  religious  opinions  of  others  as  some- 
thing to  be  respected  at  all  events." 

"  I  used  to  think  so,  but  I  find  that  people's 
ideas  differ  as  to  the  ground  which  the  words 


Mr.  Barley  Speaks.  239 

4  common  politeness '  will  cover,"  returned  Mrs. 
Vananden. 

"  What  has  become  of  Dr.  Baumes  ?  "  asked 
Lydia. 

"  Why,  didn't  3*011  know  ?  He  has  gone  to 
Nelson.  Going  to  stay.  Ralph  wrote  to  Dr. 
Newland,  who  is  the  pastor  of  the  First  Church 
there,  and  they  have  put  Dr.  Baumes  right  into  the 
harness.  Made  him  superintendent,  and  I  don't 
know  what.  He  says  in  his  last  letter  that  he  is 
working  out  some  of  the  practical  things  which 
he  has  been  hearing  during  the  last  year  or  two  ; 
hearing  and  fitting  to  some  one  else,  but  which 
now  seem  to  fit  him  exactly." 

"  It  seems  wonderful — he  was  such  a  scoffer  I " 

"  Yes ;  and  while  I  am  full  of  thankfulness  for 
the  two  of  the  family  here  who  •  were  led  to 
Christ,  I  can  never  feel  that  I  and  the  other 
Christians  in  the  house  did  not,  by  our  inconsist- 
encies, keep  others  from  being  drawn  under  the 
same  influences  that  led  those  into  the  light." 

"  Well,"  said  Lydia,  "  I  must  go.  When  do 
you  mean  to  get  out  and  in  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we  expect  to  get  settled  by  to-morrow 
evening.  Come  around  and  see  us  in  the  even* 


240  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

ing?  I'll  speak  to  the  Professor,  and  we'll  have 
a  house-warming  with  two  guests  !  " 

"  Maybe.  How  nice,  that  you  can  go  to  Mrs. 
Betson's  and  it  will  be  a  good  thing  for  her,  now 
that  Tom  is  to  be  away  altogether.  But  good- 
by,"  and  Lydia  went  down  stairs  and  was  joined 
at  the  hall-door  by  Mr.  Lee,  who  was  just  start- 
ing for  his  office. 

"  Well,"  be  began,  a  little  sadly,  "  everybody 
seems  to  be  on  the  wing." 

"  Yourself  included  ?  "  questioned  Lydia. 

"  Not  exactly.  Truth  to  tell,  I  am  halting  be- 
tween two  opinions." 

"  Indeed  !  I  had  not  supposed  you  to  be  one 
of  that  sort." 

"  I  confess  that  I  am  surprised  myself,"  he 
answered,  laughing.  "  It  is  not  whether  I  shall 
go  or  stay,  though  that  is  involved  ;  but  a  ques- 
tion lies  back  of  that,  which  I  find  it  hard  to  solve. 
The  fact  is,  Miss  Elmer,  I  have  come  to  one  of 
those  dark  places  that  Mr.  Hied  spoke  of  last 
Sunday." 

"  I  suppose  that  it  was  dark  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  but  still  the  command  was  to  go  for- 
ward.' 


Mr.  Harley  Speaks.  241 

"  But  how  is  one  to  know  for  certain  that  he  is 
going  right  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Lydia,  "  you  remember  what 
Mr.  Ried  said  about  knowing?  We  have  the 
word  of  God,  the  Spirit  to  lead  us,  the  provi- 
dences to  direct  us,  the  privilege  of  holding  com- 
munion with  Christ  by  prayer ;  and,  then,  don't 
you  remember  what  he  said  about  a  person's 
doubting  what  was  his  duty,  when  he  was  not 
quite  willing  or  quite  ready  to  do  it.  That  struck 
me  as  being  a  very  common  way  of  reasoning." 

Mr.  Lee  smiled. 

"  I'll  think  about  that  last,  and  see  if  I  can 
make  it  apply.  Good-morning." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

HELEN    AND     TOM. 
"  Examine  me,  O  Lord,  and  prove  me." 


KNOW  it,   Helen.      I'm  not  doubting 
your  willingness  to  make  the  sacrifice ; 
but  it  does  not  seem  right  for  me  to  accept  it." 

The  Betson  family  was  discussing  ways  and 
means,  lingering  long  around  the  tea-table. 
Helen's  tea  was  untouched,  so  eager  had  she  been 
in  her  effort  to  prove  that  a  plan  which  she  had 
herself  proposed  was  one  that  they  ought  to  carry 
out,  though  it  was  a  plan  that  would  involve  a 
sacrifice  on  her  part. 

"  I  don't  understand  how  you  made  it  seem 

242 


Helen  and  Tom.  243 

any  other  way  than  right,"  returned  Helen.     "It 
seems  to  be  not  only  expedient,  but  a  necessity." 

"  Not  at  all,  as  I  look  at  it,"  responded  Tom  ; 
"  because  I  can  work  my  way  through." 
"  Yes,  and  waste  years  of  your  life,  the  best  of 
them,  too,"  interrupted  Helen.  "  You  see,  Tom, 
I  don't  think  there  is  any  special  merit  in  a 
man's  resolve  to  be  independent,  and  work  his 
own  way,  when  there  is  no  special  necessity  to 
go  with  it.  I  admire  a  self-made  man  ;  but  I 
don't  think  that  self-making  consists  entirely  in 
sawing  wood  and  ringing  bells,  or  doing  anything 
of  that  sort,  to  pay  one's  way  through  college.  It 
seems  to  me  that  overcoming  your  pride,  so  as  to 
accept  graciously  your  sister's  offer,  would  make 
quite  a  piece  of  a  man.  Now,"  she  continued, 
"  if  that  miserable  bank  hadn't  gone  and  failed, 
you  and  I  could  have  gone  on  with  our  studies 
just  as  papa  planned  ;  but  as  it  is,  I  do  not  believe 
that  he  would  have  objected  to  my  giving  up  to 
you.  I  know  that  he -was  anxious  that  you 
should  be  a  minister." 

"  And  so  I  mean  to  be  ;  and  I  shall  get  along. 
The  Lord  will  provide  a  way,"  said  Tom. 

Helen  smiled  as  she  answered  : 


244  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

*'  And  if,  when  the  way  is  provided,  you  turn 
scornfully  away  and  say,  '  That  is  not  quite  ac- 
cording to  my  ideas,'  do  you  expect  Him  to  go 
on  suggesting  plans  for  your  advancement,  until 
you  are  suited  ?  May  it  not  be  possible  that  this 
is  the  Lord's  way  !  " 

Tom  toyed  with  his  napkin,  rolling  it  tightly, 
as  if  he  were  a  surgeon's  assistant,  and  about  to 
assist  in  an  operation,  while  Helen  continued  : 

"  And  don't  you  see,  that  it  will  not  be  so 
great  a  sacrifice,  after  all  ?  If  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Van- 
anden  come  here  to  board  I  shall  have  a  little 
extra  money,  for  you  know  that  mamma  has 
promised  half  of  what  they  pay,  to  me,  if  I  will 
look  after  certain  details  of  the  housekeeping." 

This  time  Tom  laughed. 

"A  pretty  large  if!  I  hope  that  the  certain 
details  are  not  very  essential  to  the  Doctor's  com- 
fort," he  said. 

"  Don't  worry  about  the  Doctor's  comfort,"  re- 
turned Helen  ;  "  but  let  me  give  you  the  details, 
not  of  the  housekeeping,  but  of  my  plan.  I  don't 
mean  to  give  up  stud}',  though  my  course  will 
be  less  regular  than  yours.  I  shall  buy  books  and 
music,  and  attend  lectures,  and  read  the  papers, 


Helen  and  Tom.  245 

so  you  need  not  fear  that  I  shall  be  so  old-fash- 
ioned and  ignorant  that  you  will  be  ashamed  to 
introduce  me  to  your  friends  when  I  come  to  hear 
your  Commencement  oration  !  " 

"None  of  that,  Helen  !  A  fellow  would  be  a 
brute  to  be  ashamed  of  a  sister  who  had  given  up 
her  chance  of  education  for  his  sake." 

"  And  don't  you  see,  that  it  will  be  pleasanter 
for  mother  than  it  would  be  if  I  went  away  too  ? 
She  could  never  stay  here  alone." 

"  You  are  not  to  take  me  into  consideration  in 
your  plans,"  said  Mrs.  Betson.  "  Of  course  we 
can  not  now  carry  out  our  projects  of  closing  our 
house  for  a  time,  and  setting  up  a  house  in  New 
Haven  for  a  time  ;  but  some  other  plan  for  me 
can  be  devised." 

"I  think  that  I  shall  stay  here  with  you, 
mother ;  so  let's  get  at  those  shirts  to-morrow ; 
next  week  we  shall  have  to  arrange  the  rooms. 
I  hope  that  Mrs.  Vananden  will  like  the  new  pa- 
per. Her  rooms  at  the  Crosby  house  are  just 
lovely ! " 

Helen  seemed  to  consider  that  she  had  gained 
her  point,  but  Tom  had  to  talk  the  matter  over 
many  times  before  he  could  bring  himself  to  ac- 


246  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

eept  Helen's  sacrifice.  He  would  say  to  him- 
self, "  I  don't  believe  that  I  could  do  it,  give  up 
my  chances  of  an  education  to  help  some  one 
else  :  but  Helen  seems  so  willing,  even  anxious 
about  it.  I  don't  understand  it ;  and  I  am  afraid 
that  I  am  not  fit  to  be  a  minister  !  "  While  Tom 
was  willing  and  even  anxious  that  Helen  should 
use  her  own  share  of  the  money  which  Mrs.  Bet- 
son  felt  could  be  set  apart,  out  of  their  diminished 
means,  for  their  education,  he  could  not  bring 
himself  to  the  point  where  he  wanted  to  relin- 
quish his  claim  to  her,  and  this  thought  troubled 
him,  and  he  became  very  unhappy  over  it.  He 
remembered  Mr.  Ried's  sermon  on  the  text 
"  Seeketh  not  her  own,"  and  he  asked  himself, 
"  Can  this  which  I  thought  to  be  a  desire  to  do 
Christ's  work,  to  obey  his  command  in  preaching 
the  gospel  — can  this  be  a  self-seeking  ?  I  can't 
accept  her  sacrifice,  neither  can  I  be  willing  to 
make  a  corresponding  one."  Tom  had  a  good 
many  puzzling  thoughts  over  this  question,  and 
got  quite  into  the  dark.  He  even  began  to  think 
that  he  had  no  right  to  call  himself  a  Christian 
at  all,  while  he  was  harboring  so  much  of  selfish- 


Helen  and  Tom.  247 

ness.  Finally,  he  had  a  little  talk  with  Mr. 
Ried. 

"  See  here,  my  boy,"  said  the  pastor,  when  Tom 
had  opened  his  heart  to  him,  "  you  think  that 
God  wants  you  to  preach  the  gospel  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  sir,  I  have  thought  so  until  lately  ; 
but  I  don't  believe  that  I  can  ever  be  fit.  A 
Christian,  and  especially  a  minister,  ought  to  be 
willing  to  make  sacrifices ;  and,  as  I  have  told 
you,  I  can't  be  willing  to  relinquish  all  my  hopes 
and  prospects  of  a  thorough  education ;  and  yet 
it  seems  that  I  ought  to  be  willing  to  do  as  much 
as  my  sister." 

"  Tom,"  said  the  pastor,  "  what  reason  have 
you  for  supposing  that  the  Lord  requires  of  you 
exactly  the  same  sacrifice  that  he  calls  upon 
Helen  to  make  ?  " 

Tom  was  a  little  surprised  at  the  question  ;  but 
he  answered  quite  readily : 

"  Why,  I  thought  that  a  Christian  ought  to  be 
willing  to  do  or  suffer  anything." 

"Are  you  willing  to  lay  your  hand  upon  those 
coals  in  that  stove  ?  " 

"  Why,  no ;  I  don't  think  I  am ;  yet  if  it  were 


248  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

what   Christ  required    I    should    ask   him   for 
strength  as  I  needed." 

"  But,"  said  Mr.  Ried,  "  God  has  required  just 
that  of  some  among  the  early  Christians ;  why 
don't  you  conclude  that  he  requires  it  of  you 
because  others  have  been  called  to  suffer  thus  ? 
You  have  been  measuring  your  duty  by  Helen's. 
It  may  be  that  the  Master  has  set  to  you  a  harder 
task  than  this  self-denial  has  been  to  her.  In 
these  last  few  weeks  you  have  been  cherishing 
plans  of  independence,  ideas  of  self-education,  of 
growing  strong  by  overcoming  hindrances,  and  of 
the  gratification  it  would  be  to  you  to  feel  that 
greatly  by  your  own  endeavor  you  have  made 
your  way  to  a  position  of  influence  and  useful- 
ness. Now,  what  if  God  requires  you  to  put 
away  these  ambitions,  laudable  though  they  may 
be  in  some  cases,  and  accept  the  aid  which  your 
sister  offers,  saving  time  and  strength  for  the 
Lord's  work  ?  Are  you  ready  to  sacrifice  your 
pride  and  your  notions  of  independence  ?  Sup- 
pose you  look  a  little  more  closely  at  this  side  of 
the  question." 

"  I  confess  that  I  have  not  considered  it  in  the 
light  of  a  sacrifice  that  I  ought  to  make  in  accept- 


Helen  and  Tom.  249 

ing  her  offer ;  it  has  seemed  as  if  the  older  and 
stronger  should  bear  the  burden  of  work  if  there 
is  one  to  be  borne  by  either  of  us." 

"  Tom,  said  the  pastor,  "  you  are  willing  to 
devote  your  time,  your  strength,  j'our  talents 
and  all  else  that  you  possess  to  the  work  of 
preaching  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
but  there  is  one  little  bit  of  pride  and  indepen- 
dence that  you  are  not  rm;te  ready  to  lay  upon 
the  altar.  Now,  it  is  not  for  me  to  ^y  that 
Helen  should  lay  down  her  plans,  and  I  know 
that  these  are  cherished  plans,  but  if  she  has 
prayerfully  and  conscientiously  made  her  decis- 
ion, and  your  mother,  with  whom,  after  all,  the 
matter  rests,  concurs  in  Helen's  views,  why, 
then,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  should  consider 
very  carefully  and  very  prayerfully  before  you 
refuse ;  and  don't  imagine  that  you  are  to  mea- 
sure you  duty  by  hers." 

The  Betsons  were  not  poor,  but  there  had  been 
some  heavy  losses  which  called  for  a  lessening  of 
expenses  and  a  change  of  plans,  with  a  sacrifice 
on  the  part  of  some  one,  and  Helen  came  promptly 
to  the  front  in  the  matter,  while  Tom  spent  a 
great  deal  of  time  and  wasted  his  strength  in 


250  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

endeavoring  to  bring  himself  into  exactly  the 
same  position.  Now  he  had  a  new  field  for  con- 
flict ;  he  was  a  proud  fellow,  and  he  had  always 
been  a  hero  worshiper.  A  self-made  man  was 
his  idol,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  he  was  not 
secretly  glad  of  the  opportunity  which  he  saw 
opening  before  him  for  following  in  the  footsteps 
of  some  of  his  favorite  heroes ;  and  now  Helen 
had  stepped  quietly  forward  and  closed  the 
door.  Tom  had  a  vague  notion  that  she  had 
given  up  the  dearest  hope  of  this  life,  and  per- 
haps it  was  well  that  he  could  not  know  of  the 
conflict  through  which  she  had  passed  before  she 
so  quietly  and  persistently  held  her  position. 
Could  he  have  seen  her  as  she  gathered  up  the 
catalogues,  and  photographic  views,  and  the 
illustrated  magazine  articles,  and  whatever  else 
she  had  collected  that  related  to  the  school  which 
she  had  selected,  and  put  them  all  away  in  the 
darkest  corner  of  the  closet,  with  a  look  on  her 
face  such  as  comes  only  to  oi;e  who  buries  a 
cherished  hope,  he  must  have  wondered  more  at 
the  cheerfulness  with  which  she  went  about  the 
work  of  carrying  new  plans  into  effect.  It  was 
yet  early  spring.  Tom  would  be  at  home  until 


Helen  and  Tom.  251 

fall,  and  she  meant  to  make  the  most  of  him. 
There  were  many  things  to  be  done  in  view  of 
uis  long  absence,  and  Helen  gave  herself  resolute- 
ly to  the  work. 

And  this,  which  seemed  to  be  only  the  settle- 
ment of  a  little  family  matter,  had  brought  some- 
thing new  into  Tom's  life.  He  began  to  see  more 
clearly  that  to  him  who  commits  all  his  way  unto 
the  Lord  there  is  nothing  in  which  he  may  act 
independently  ;  that  a  complete  submission  takes 
in  pride  and  ambition  as  well  as  time  and  talents  ; 
that  the  requirement,  "  Follow  me,"  covers  every- 
thing. 

Mrs.  Vananden's  presence  in  the  household 
was  a  great  help  to  Helen.  The  lady  herself, 
looking  back  to  her  own  girlhood,  remembered 
her  needs ;  and  when  Helen  came  into  her  room, 
as  she  sometimes  did,  with  a  look  on  her  face  that 
said,  "  I've  come  to  a  hard  place,"  she  was  ready 
with  her  word,  and  it  was  always  a  word  in  the 
right  place. 

It  was  a  dark,  rainy  evening,  a  week  or  two 
after  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  were  settled  among 
them.  Helen  had  a  cold ;  Tom  had  gone  with 
the  Doctor  to  prayer-meeting,  leaving  Helen  to 


252  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

imrse  her  cold,  very  much  to  her  disappointment 
She  had  an  unsually  hard  day ;  some  of  those 
*'  details  "  about  which  Tom  had  been  suspicious 
had  gone  all  awry,  just  as  housekeeping  details 
will.  And  that  wretched  cold  !  sniff!  sniff!  eyes, 
nose  and  cheeks  red  as  a  peony  !  and  temper  — 
well,  the  less  said  about  that  the  better  for 
Helen's  reputation.  The  world  looked  all  askew, 
and  my  3Tpung  lady  felt  as  though  home  were 
dull,  every  association  uncongenial,  and  her  whole 
range  of  occupation  narrow.  While  she  did  not 
regret  her  sacrifice,  there  were  hours  when  a 
sense  of  its  bitterness  came  over  her  afresh,  and 
this  was  one  of  them. 

In  reply  to  a  remark  of  Helen's  about  the 
narrowness  of  her  life,  Mrs.  Vananden  said  : 

"  My  dear  child,  it  is  not  for  you  to  talk  about 
narrowness.  Why,  you  have  a  breadth  and  scope 
of  influence  and  power  that  might  well  make  you 
tremble !  It  is  not  flattery  for  me  to  say  that 
you  are  a  leader  among  the  young  people.  You 
are  aware  of  that,  and  you  cannot  evade  or  turn 
away  from  the  responsibilities  of  that  position. 
You  have  a  Sunday-school  class.  How  that 
widens  your  influence  1  Those  little  girls  have 


Helen  and  Tom.  253 

mothers ;  some  of  them  have  mothers  who  are 
not  Christians.  Did  you  ever  think  how  your 
teachings  may  be  echoing  in  the  house  of  those 
children  ?  how,  through  them,  you,  young  as  you 
are,  may  reach  the  fathers  and  mothers  ?  Nar- 
row !  Why,  your  life  is  a  growth,  broadening 
and  brightening  even  into  perfect  proportions  and 
the  brightness  of  day  !  " 

"  I  know,"  said  Helen,  "  that  I  am  unreason- 
able to-night,  for  I  do  think  that  I  belong  to 
Christ,  and  that  the  things  he  gives  me  to  do  and 
to  bear  are  just  what  is  needful  and  right ;  but 
sometimes  I  get  discouraged,  and  everything 
seems  so  empty." 

"I  think  that  what  you  need  is  to  seek  for  the 
continual  presence  of  the  Saviour.  You  need  to 
have  in  your  own  experience  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise  of  our  Lord,  "  We  will  come  unto 
him  and  make  our  abode  with  him."  There  is  a 
peculiar  sense  in  which  the  Lord  may  be  present 
with  his  children,  so  that  they  may  feel  not  only 
secure  and  safe,  but  conscious  of  his  love  and 
presence.  This  is  not  a  visionary  thought  for  it 
is  distinctly  promised  ;  neither  need  it  be  an  occa- 


254  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

sional  experience,  for  the  words  are,  '  Make  our 
abode  with  him.'  ' 

While  the  rain  fell  heavily  without,  Helen  sat 
curled  up  on  the  rug  before  the  open  grate,  her 
head  buried  in  the  cushions  of  a  great  arm-chair, 
and  listened  to  such  words  of  counsel.  And  they 
were  not  beyond  her  depth,  for  that  last  winter 
had  been  a  period  of  growth  to  Helen  Betson. 
Steadily  her  feet  had  been  tending  upwards  ;  and 
she  was  being  lifted  into  that  plane  of  life  where 
the  stern  performance  of  duty  gives  place  to  the 
service  of  love.  The  free,  happy  service  of  a 
heart  abiding  in  Christ,  the  full  surrender  of  the 
soul,  turns  bondage  into  freedom  and  duly  into 
love,  and  Helen  was  not  far  from  the  point  where 
she  would  find  that  self-forgetting  love  "would 
make  her  life  a  joyful  song. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

HELEN  DECIDES   A  QUESTION. 

"  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father, 
is  this:  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction, 
and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 


tELEN  Betson  stood  upon  the  doorstep  at 
the  parsonage,  talking  for  a  few  mo- 
ments with  Mr.  Ried.  The  topic  was  a  Sunday- 
school  picnic  that  was  to  come  off  very  soon. 

"Can  you  come  around  to  the  parlors  this 
evening  and  help  with  those  banners?"  asked 
Mr.  Ried,  when  the  matter  which  Helen  came 
about  had  been  disposed  of. 

"  This  evening  ?  "  repeated  Helen,  hesitatingly. 
"Why,  I  could,  only  there  is  Mrs.  Moshier's 
party." 

»55 


256  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Ah  !  and  you  are  going  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Ried, 
with  a  touch  of  disapproval  in  his  tones. 

Helen  noticed  it,  and  she  answered  a  little 
doubtfully : 

"  Why,  yes,  sir,  I  intended  to  go ;  but,  of 
course,  if  there  were  more  important  matters  in 
hand,  I  could  give  up  the  party  :  but  I  supposed 
that  I  could  do  my  part  of  the  work  to-morrow, 
or  even  later.  We  have  nearly  a  week  yet." 

"  Oh,  It  is  not  that ;  we  have  time  enough,  I 
suppose,"  returned  Mr.  Ried.  "  I  presume  that 
there  will  not  be  many  to  help  this  evening,  so 
there  will  be  plenty  to  do  to-morrow  night." 

"  But  are  not  you.  and  Mrs.  Ried  going  to  Mrs. 
Moshier's  ?  "  asked  Helen. 

"I  think  not,"  replied  Mr.  Ried;  "she  will 
hardly  expect  to  see  her  pastor  there." 

"  Wh}r,  has  she  not  sent  you  invitations  ? " 
asked  Helen,  in  surprise. 

Mr.  Ried  smiled. 

"Certainly;  Mrs.  Moshier  never  forgets  the 
proprieties." 

Helen  looked  puzzled. 

"  Mr.  Ried,"  she  began,  "  I  don't  understand 
you  at  all  I  " 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  257 

"Don't  you?  I  was  not  aware  that  my  re- 
marks were  of  a  puzzling  character.  Which  of 
them  is  it  that  you  do  not  understand  ? "  He 
was  laughing  now,  and  Helen  laughed  too,  as  she 
answered : 

"Taken  singly,  they  are  plain  enough;  but 
[  do  not  see  the  connection." 

"  Well,"  he  returned,  "  let  me  enlighten  you 
by  asking  a  question.  Have  you  any  idea  as 
to  what  sort  of  an  entertainment  this  is  to  be  ?  " 

"  Why,  like  any  other  party,  I  suppose,"  re- 
plied Helen.  "It  is  understood  to  be  a  con- 
gratulatory gathering  on  the  occasion  of  her  tak- 
ing possession  of  her  grand  new  house,  like  an 
old-fashioned  house-warming." 

*'  Well,  suppose  you  talk  it  over  with  my 
cousin,  Mrs.  Vunanden  ?  " 

Helen  went  down  street  towards  home,  wear- 
ing a  somewhat  puzzled  look.  Now  it  so  hap- 
pened that  the  subject  of  amusements  had  never 
been  up  for  Helen  Betson's  consideration.  As 
a  school-girl  she  had  been  allowed  to  do  pretty 
much  as  she  pleased,  except  that  there  were  a 
few  things  which  she  and  Tom  understood  that 
their  father  disapproved  of  and  these  things  they 


258  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

avoided.  Among  these  were  card  playing,  and 
all  other  games  of  kindred  character ;  and  Tom 
had  grown  up  with  a  settled  conviction  that  his 
father  was  right,  and  he  would  no  more  touch 
the  unclean  things  than  he  would  handle  red- 
hot  coals.  When  the  games  were  introduced  in 
companies  where  he  chanced  to  be,  he  always 
excused  himself  from  engaging  in  them  on  the 
plea  that  he  had  no  taste  for  anything  of  that 
sort ;  that  is,  he  did  so  until,  of  late,  he  had  been 
led  to  look  into  the  subject  for  himself,  and  saw 
no  reason  for  changing  his  views ;  but,  on  the 
contraiy,  found  many  reasons  which  strength- 
ened him  in  his  convictions. 

At  the  school-girl  parties  which  Helen  had  at- 
tended she  had  danced  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Her  father  never  particularly  objected,  though 
he  considered  it  a  senseless  and  silly  waste  of 
time  and  strength.  He  would  not  consent  to  his 
daughter's  attendance  at  dancing-schools  because 
it  was  "  nonsense,"  and  because  he  never  saw  a 
dancing-master  with  whom  he  wished  his  chil- 
dren to  be  upon  a  footing,  such  as  the  relations  of 
teacher  and  pupil  would  necessitate.  Still, 
Helen  had  picked  up  a  very  creditable  knowledge 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  259 

of  the  art  and  was  quite  fond  of  the  amusement. 
Since  she  became  a  professing  Christian  the  sub- 
ject had  not  once  occured  to  her,  owing  greatly 
to  the  fact  that  her  father's  sickness  and  death 
following  so  closely  upon  her  public  confession  of 
Christ,  had,  for  the  time  shut  her  off  from  social 
visits,  and  she  had  never  resumed  her  attendance 
upon  entertainments  of  the  gayer  sort.  But  now 
Mrs.  Moshier  had  left  her  boarding-house,  and 
gone  to  live  in  one  of  the  most  elegant  houses  in 
town,  and  her  invitations  were  out  for  a  grand 
entertainment.  It  had  never  occurred  to  Helen 
that  she  might  nob  attend  with  the  utmost  pro- 
priety ;  and  her  dress  had  cost  her  considerable 
time  and  money ;  but  it  was  all  ready,  and  her 
errand  down  town  was  to  try  it  on,  and  select 
the  gloves  and  ribbons  to  go  with  it. 

Mr.  Ried  had  awakened  some  new  thoughts  in 
her  mind,  which  she  resolved  as  she  went  along. 
**  Talk  it  over  with  Mrs.  Vananden."  In  the 
first  place,  Mrs.  Vananden  was  out  of  town  when 
Mrs.  Moshier's  delicately-tinted  and  perfumed 
notes  were  sent  around,  and  had  only  returned 
the  day  before,  and,  though  she  had  grown  so 
soon  into  the  habit  of  carrying  her  heartaches  to 


260  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

her  new  friends,  Helen  had  not  learned  to  talk 
over  her  little  anticipations ;  someway  she  fancied 
that  parties  were  such  an  indifferent  matter  to 
Mrs.  Vananden  that  she  would  appear  silly  in 
that  lady's  e}res  if  she  greeted  her  with  idle  talk 
about  Mrs.  Moshier's  party;  so  she  was  silent, 
though  her  tongue  ached  to  talk  all  through 
breakfast  time. 

"  Mrs.  Vananden !  "  she  said,  bursting  into  that 
lady's  presence,  "  are  you  going  to  Mrs.  Moshier's 
this  evening?  " 

Mrs.  Vananden  looked  up  in  some  surprise, 
not  at  the  question,  but  at  the  vehemence  of  the 
questioner. 

"  I  think  not ;  Mrs.  Moshier  will  scarcely  ex- 
pect to  see  me,"  she  replied,  smilingly. 

"  Just  the  words  Mr.  Ried  used  !  "  exclaimed 
Helen,  half  petulantly.  "  And  I  don't  know  at 
all  what  either  of  you  mean." 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Vananden. 

"  No,  I  don't  I  Why  wouldn't  she  expect  to 
see  you  as  well  as  other  people  ?  And,  of  course, 
she  would  not  expect  everybody  to  stay  away. 
I  should  think  that  she  would  want  her  pastor, 
anyway." 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  261 

"  Helen,"  said  Mrs.  Vanauden,  "  Mrs.  Moshier 
holds  many  opinions  winch  are  at  variance  with 
the  word  of  God  as  I  read  it,  and  as  our  pastor 
and  hers  preaches  it.  Among  them  are  her  views 
upon  the  subject  of  social  entertainments.  I 
should  not  feel  justified  in  giving  an  entertain- 
ment of  the  sort  that  hers  will  be  to-night,  and  I 
see  no  reason  why  it  would  be  any  more  justifi- 
able for  me  to  attend  hers" 

"  Do  you  think  it  wrong  for  Christians  to  at- 
tend parties?  "  asked  Helen,  with  a  great  wonder 
in  her  tones  and  face. 

Mrs.  Vananden  smiled. 

"  You  are  asking  a  question  which  covers  a 
great  deal  of  ground.  Let  me  ask  you  one  that 
is  narrower  in  its  application.  Would  you  have 
thought  it  right  for  you  or  for  me  to  have  at- 
tended the  military  ball  last  winter?" 

"  Wh}r,  no,  I  guess  not.  Mother  would  never 
let  me  go  to  a  public  entertainment  of  that  sort ; 
so  I  never  thought  anything  about  the  right  or 
wrong  of  it  for  Christians,"  said  Helen,  adding : 
"  But  I  know  that  it  would  be  a  strange  place  in 
which  to  fancy  meeting  Mr.  Hied.  On  the 


262  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

whole,  I  don't  think  that  it  would  be  just  the 
place  where  a  Christian  ought  to  go." 

"  Well,  now  I  am  so  simple,  or  so  bigoted,  as  I 
suppose  our  friend  Mrs.  Moshier  would  call  it, 
that  I  am  unable  to  see  any  difference  between  a 
fashionable  dancing  party,  got  up  by  a  number 
of  persons  sending  out  select  invitations,  and  one 
which  is  managed  entirely  by  one  person,  when 
there  is  no  difference  in  the  nature  of  the  enter- 
tainment. Mrs.  Moshier  will  have  dancing,  and 
she  will  have  card-tables,  and  will  serve  wine, 
and  I  presume  that  their  will  be  accommodations 
for  smokers.  Now  I  fail  to  see  the  difference  be- 
tween the  two  things,  and  if  one  is  wrong,  why 
then  the  other  is  wrong  too." 

"  But,"  said  Helen,  "  the  people  who  got  up 
that  military  ball  argued  just  the  other  way.  I 
remember  that  I  heard  Mr.  Burgess  trying  to 
persuade  a  friend  of  mine  to  attend  :  and  he  said 
that  it  was  exactly  the  same  thing  as  a  private 
party,  that  the  committee  \verevery  particular  in 
making  out  their  list,  and  that  everything  would 
be  in  the  style  of  the  most  genteel  private  enter- 
tainments." 

"  Yes,  the  only  point  of  difference  in  our  argu- 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  263 

ment  is  that  these  people  argue    that  both  are 
right,  while  I  argue  that  both  are  wrong." 

"But,"  continued  Helen,  "I  can't  see  just 
where  the  harm  lies.  Of  course  I  believe  that 
some  of  these  things  are  wrong ;  but,  then,  one 
is  not  obliged  to  engage  in  them.  There  will  be 
plenty  of  people  that  will  not  go  near  the  card- 
tables,  and  many  who  will  not  drink  wine." 

"  And  I  presume  that  there  will  be  some  who 
will  not  dance,"  added  Mrs.  Vananden. 

"  Mrs.  Vananden,  do  you  think  it  is  wrong  to 
dance  ? 

"  How  would  you  feel  to  see  your  pastor  danc- 
ing ?  "  was  the  response. 

"  Why,  I  don't  know  ;  I  guess  I  should  be 
astonished.  I  suppose  it  is  partly  because  we 
have  been  accustomed  to  think  of  ministers  as 
being  above  such  things,  that  we  are  shocked  at 
the  thought ;  but  I  have  always  danced,  and  I 
never  thought  it  was  wrong  ;  though  I  knew 
that  some  people  disapproved  of  it.  But,  honestly, 
I  never  heard  one  good  reason  given  for  disap- 
proval. Now,  won't  you  please  give  me  some 
arguments  ?  " 

u  In  favor  ?  "  asked  the  other,  smiling. 


264  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  have  all  I  need  in  favor." 
"I  used  to  be  passionately  fond  of  the  amuse- 
ment myself,"  said  Mrs.  Vananden .  "  Indeed, 
for  a  long  time  the  unwillingness  to  give  up  the 
practice  stood  between  my  soul  and  my  Saviour. 
Now,  if  you  would  like  to  know  why  I  do  not 
dance  I  will  tell  you.  In  the  first  place,  I  found, 
very  early  in  my  Christian  life,  that  the  nearer  I 
kept  to  Christ  the  less  inclination  I  had  to  engage 
in  the  pastime ;  and  I  naturally  concluded  that 
if  the  two  loves  could  not  abide  with  me  at  the 
same  time  there  must  be  some  antagonism  be- 
tween the  two.  For  me  the  question  settled 
itself  by  my  growing  distaste  for  the  amusement. 
But  there  are  reasons  which  I  might  give  you 
which  ought  to  appeal  to  those  who  would  not 
be  swayed  by  any  thought  of  Christian  obliga- 
tion. For  instance,  the  effect  upon  health.  It 
needs  no  labored  argument  to  prove  that  close 
rooms,  late  hours,  violent  exercise  during  those 
late  hours  and  undue  excitement,  all  of  which 
are  almost  invariably  the  accompaniments  of  the 
practice,  are  in  a  high  degree  pernicious  to 
health." 
"  But,"  said  Helen,  "  I  have  heard  people  say 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  265 

that  it  was  a  very  healthful  exercise,  and  gave 
strength  and  elasticity  to  the  limbs  as  well  as 
making  people  graceful." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  am  the  wife  of  a  physician, 
and  have  a  brother-in-law  who  is  also  a  physician, 
so  that  I  have  some  means  of  knowing  how  it  is 
regarded  by  the  profession ;  and,  besides,  I 
could  tell  you  of  many  young  girls  who  died 
early,  falling  victims  to  disease  induced  by  danc- 
ing and  its  concomitants,  among  them  a  dear 
friend  of  my  girlhood,  a  girl  of  rare  qualities  and 
bright  promise.  If  I  had  a  daughter  I  would 
sooner  run  the  risk  of  her  being  as  ungraceful  as 
an  elephant  than  take  the  risk  of  the  loss  of 
health  and  life  itself." 

"  But  just  for  once  in  a  while  there  couldn't 
be  much  danger  in  that." 

"It  is  not  like  you  to  reason  that  way,  Helen. 
If  a  thing  is  wrong  at  all  it  is  wrong  always, 
isn't  it?" 

"  I  suppose  so,"  replied  Helen,  doubtfully. 

"  Now,  let  me  give  you  some  reasons  why,  as 
a  Christian,  I  do  not  dance.  I  have  found  as  I 
said  in  the  first  place,  that  nearness  to  Christ 
crowds  out  all  desire  to  engage  in  this  amuse- 


266  Echoing  and  Re-echoing* 

ment.  Indeed,  this  is  my  strongest  reason  ;  but 
there  are  others.  The  practice  as  we  find  it  is 
damaging  to  the  mind  and  morals.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  there  is  a  great  loss  of  moral  purity 
inevitably  connected  with  the  practice.  This 
may  seem  a  strong  assertion  ;  but  look  at  the 
association  of  the  dance.  Again,  did  you  ever 
hear  of  any  one  asking  God's  blessing  upon  a 
company  gathered  for  an  evening's  entertain- 
ment of  this  sort?  Do  people,  even  those  who 
are  loudest  in  defense  of  their  favorite  amuse- 
ment, expect  or  gladly  welcome  to  their  midst 
the  minister  of  the  gospel  or  those  eminent  as 
Christian  workers?  "  Do  they  even  expect  that 
men  of  culture  and  high  literary  attainments  will 
fritter  away  precious  hours  thus  ?  " 

"  But,  after  all,  is  dancing  any  worse  than 
some  other  things  that  people  engage  in  for 
amusement  ?  "  asked  Helen. 

"  I  presume  not ;  but  because  stealing  is  no 
worse  than  l3*ing,  shall  we  steal  ?  " 

Helen  laughed. 

"  I  see,"  she  said,  "  that  isn't  much  of  an  argu- 
ment, but  people  do  call  it  one." 

"  I  know  they  do,"  returned  her  friend,  "  and 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  267 

I  would  substitute  only  harmless  and  rational 
amusements,  not  forgetting  that  what  would 
seem  enjoyable  to  me  might  be  very  dull  and 
meaningless  to  you  younger  people." 

"But  I  don't  see,"  pursued  Helen,  "just  why 
one  can  not  carry  religion  into  the  dancing- 
room.  I  think  that  if  I  were  to  have  Willard 
Hunting  for  a  partner  to-night  that  I  could,  and 
most  likely  should,  talk  about  religion.  You  see 
we  have  had  a  good  deal  to  say  about  the  sub- 
ject latel}%  Willard  is  very  much  interested, 
and  I — "  here  Helen's  voice  sank  to  a  whisper 
—  "I  am  praying  for  him." 

Mrs.  Vananden  smiled. 

"  Dear  child,"  she  said,  "  does  it  not  strike  you 
as  somewhat  incongruous,  this  mingling  of  re- 
ligious conversation  with  the  music  of  a  dancing 
tune,  with  the  gay  dress  and  trifling  conversa- 
tion around  you?" 

At  this  point  of  the  conversation  there  came  a 
rap  at  the  door,  and  Mrs.  Vananden  admitted  a 
visitor. 

"  Don't  go,"  she  said,  as  Helen  was  about  to 
slip  awa}r.  "  Mrs.  Graves  is  the  very  person  to 
tell  you  a  story  that  will  answer  your  thought  bet- 


268  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

ter  than  any  argument  I  can  shape."  Then,  turn- 
ning  to  Mrs.  Graves,  she  continued  :  "  Strangely 
enough,  you  have  come  just  at  the  right  time  ;  I 
want  you  to  tell  Helen  how  you  tried  to  carry 
religion  into  the  ball-room." 

A  bright  flush  spread  itself  over  the  face  of  the 
visitor  for  a  moment,  as  if  a  painful  recollection 
had  been  awakened  ;  then  she  said : 

"Is  our  Helen  desirous  of  trying  the  experi- 
ment ?  I  can  assure  her  it  is  a  dangerous  one  to 
try ;  for  you  risk  the  loss  of  spiritual  growth  and 
vigor,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  chance  of  doing  a 
bit  of  good.  As  for  my  own  experiment,  it  end- 
ed disastrously  enough;  and  had  I  not  been 
spared  and  given  grace  to  retrieve  my  error  as  far 
as  possible  the  end  would  have  been  sad,  indeed  I 
After  I  was  engaged  to  Mr.  Graves  I  became  a 
Christian,  and,  of  course,  I  longed  to  have  him 
join  me  in  the  beginning  of  a  new  life  ;  but  while 
he  always  listened  to  my  urgent  appeals  with 
some  degree  of  interest,  that  was  all.  Satan 
suggested  that  I  ought  to  be  careful  not  to  dis- 
gust my  friend  by  unnecessary  strictness,  so  I 
went  out  with  him  just  as  before,  to  all  sorts  of 
places,  without  regard  to  the  question  of  con- 


Helen  Decides  a  Question.  269 

sistency.  I  thought  that  I  was  manifesting  a 
very  good  spirit,  and  I  really  imagined  that  I 
was  glorif}Ting  God  when  I  accompanied  my 
husband  to  a  series  of  dancing  parties  at  Per- 
kins' Hall  and  talked  religion  to  him  on  the 
way  home  and  between  the  sets.  But  how  Satan 
must  have  rejoiced,  for  my  inconsistency  drove 
my  husband  into  infidelity ;  and  it  was  long  years 
before  I  regained  what  I  had  lost ;  frittered 
away.  To  be  sure,  after  my  marriage  I  only 
danced  at  private  entertainments,  but  I  never 
heard  God  recognized  in  any  manner  at  such  a 
party ;  and  I  lost  my  relish  for  prayer,  and  soon 
ceased  my  effort  for  the  conversion  of  my  hus- 
band. My  health  was  undermined  by  late 
hours  and  the  violent  exercise,  and  I  spent  five 
years  of  pain  and  weariness  before  I  regained 
what  I  had  thrown  away,  either  physically  or 
spiritually. 

"  Mr.  Graves  has  told  me  since,  that  it  was  the 
fact  that  he  saw  so  little  difference  in  my  habits 
and  pursuits  after  I  had  professed  Christ  that  led 
him  to  renounce  all  faith  in  a  religion  which 
seemed  to  have  so  little  power  upon  the  lives  of 
those  who  professed  to  be  guided  by  its  princi- 
ples. 


270  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  I  tell  you,  Helen,  don't  you  try  to  be  a  danc- 
ing Christian.  I  have  learned,  by  a  long,  bitter 
experience,  that  to  be  '  unspotted  from  the  world ' 
is  to  stand  aloof  from  all  questionable  amuse- 
ments and  employments ;  to  engage  in  nothing 
which  crowds  the  love  of  Christ  into  the  back- 
ground, and  be  sure  that  you  will  never  lead  a 
soul  to  Christ  by  any  sort  of  a  compromise  with 
worldliness." 

"  One  question  more,"  said  Helen.  "  Does 
the  Bible  anywhere  expressly  forbid  dancing  ?  " 

Mrs.  Vananden  smiled. 

"  Does  the  Bible  anywhere  expressly  forbid 
throwing  stones  at  your  neighbor's  windows  ?  " 

Helen  laughed,  as  she  said  : 

"  I  never  found  the  prohibition." 

"Therefore  you  may  throw  stones,"  added 
Mrs.  Vananden. 

Helen  helped  to  trim  banners  that  evening, 
and  between  pauses  of  the  talk  her  heart  sent  up 
its  petition : 

"  Keep  me  unspotted  from  the  world  I  " 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

CHKISTIAN      GIVING. 
"And  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heartily  as  unto  the  Lord." 

fr$ 
HIS  was  Mr.  Ried's  topic.  His  people 
had  been  accustomed,  annually,  to 
nerve  themselves  to  listen  to  a  dry  dissertation 
upon  the  duty  of  the  Christian  Church  to  sup- 
port the  mission  cause,  interspersed  with  more 
dryness,  in  the  shape  of  statistics,  gathered  from 
the  Missionary  Record  or  Herald,  these  same 
statistics  being  the  dryest  of  all  reading  to  those 
uninterested  in  the  reports.  Mr.  Ried  had  been 
sorely  grieved  over  the  indifference  of  the  Court 
Street  people  in  regard  to  the  subject  of  benevo- 

271 


272  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

lence,  and  sorely  puzzled,  too,  as  to  how  to  bring 
about  a  different  state  of  things.  Personally  he 
had  no  cause  of  complaint.  His  salary  was  al- 
ways promptly  paid,  and  his  people  were  ready 
to  take  up  his  burdens ;  but  to  give  for  objects 
outside  they  were  not  so  ready.  Were  new  fur- 
naces needed,  the  older  men  were  ready,  with 
open  purses,  to  meet  the  expense  ;  was  it  new 
library  books,  the  money  could  be  raised  without 
difficulty  :  was  it  a  picnic,  the  young  men  were 
ready  to  meet  the  expenses  incident  to  a  first- 
class  affair;  and  there  was  the  Young  Ladies' 
Association,  with  its  crochet-work  and  its  slipper- 
bags,  and  card-receivers,  with  its  fairs  and  fes- 
tivals, stepping  in  to  fill  a  gap  here  and  there  in 
the  need  of  the  church ;  but  let  there  come  an 
appeal  for  help  for  the  Zulu  Mission,  or  for  some 
newly-organized  church  in  the  West,  struggling 
to  build  a  simple,  unpretending  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  these  same  Court  Street  people  would 
most  likely  fold  their  arms  closely  over  the 
breast-pocket  and  dolefully  sigh  over  the  "many 
calls  for  money." 

While   growing  in   the  grace   of  "  brotherly 
love,"  the  growth  had  been  too  narrow  to  reach 


Christian  Giving.  273 

out  and  embrace  the  masses  outside.  The  eradi- 
cation of  this  selfishness,  and  the  expanding  of 
the  thoughts  and  interests  of  his  people,  so  as  to 
include  a  world,  was  the  object  for  which  the 
pastor  was  seeking.  Could  he  make  them  see 
the  deformity  of  Christian  character  which  would 
inevitably  grow  out  of  these  habits  of  thinking 
and  acting  ?  The  whole  lesson  of  Christ's  life 
was  one  of  giving.  A  giving  that  had  in  it  not 
the  thought  of  personal  gain,  but  of  personal 
sacrifice.  Would  they,  who,  having  accepted 
the  richest  of  his  gifts,  professed  to  learn  of  him 
turn  away  from  the  great  lesson  of  giving?  and 
would  they  persist  in  thinking  and  speaking  of 
benevolence  as  a  duty,  when,  in  truth,  it  is  a 
great,  a  blessed  privilege  ? 

The  work  being  the  Master's,  and  they  the 
honored  stewards,  holding  for  him  the  things  of 
this  world,  could  they  not  bring  their  ideas  of 
benevolence  up  to  a  higher  plane  than  this,  the 
goading  of  duty  ?  A  man  should  not  ask  how- 
little  it  will  do  to  give,  but,  rather,  how  much 
can  I  give  ?  What  does  the  Lord  call  for  of  his 
own? 

God  could  carry  on  his  work  without  our  help, 


274  Echoing  and  Re-ecTioing. 

even  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  the  hea- 
then hi  the  darkest  corner  of  the  world.  He 
could  irradiate  these  midnight  regions  with  the 
light  of  Christ's  love  and  the  glory  of  his  salva- 
tion ;  but  he  has  chosen  to  make  us  co-workers 
with  himself,  that  in  us  might  be  cultivated  the 
grace  of  giving.  Christ's  whole  life  was  a  gift, 
and  this  made  all  his  gifts  unto  us  more  precious. 
The  comforting  words  that  come  to  us  in  the 
midst  of  our  griefs,  are  they  not  the  more  comfort- 
ing because  He,  by  whom  they  were  uttered 
suffered  in  like  manner  ?  The  strength  that  is 
promised  for  the  hour  of  temptation,  does  it  not 
support  and  brace,  as  we  remember,  that  into 
that  sinless  life  there  came  a  corresponding 
temptation  ?  Is  it  not  the  putting  of  ourselves 
into  our  gifts  that  makes  them  of  value  ?  Then, 
shall  we  not  learn  to  give  because  we  want  to, 
as  well  as  because  we  ought  ?  As  to  the  ought, 
we  can  have  no  doubts :  "  According  to  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord  thy  God  which  he  hath 
given  thee."  "Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this 
world,  *  *  *  that  they  do  good,  that  they 
be  rich  in  good  works,  ready  to  distribute,  will- 
ing to  communicate." 


Christian  Giving.  275 

But  while  we  all  acknowledge  the  duty  of 
beneficence,  how  many  of  us  count  it  a  precious 
privilege  to  give  freely,  even  as  we  have  freely 
received  ?  Oh,  that  we  could  get  above  the 
level  of  the  sort  of  giving,  that  if  it  does  not  be- 
stow grudgingly,  at  least  has  none  of  the  delight 
of  real  Christian  giving  !  Let  us  rejoice  that  we 
are  thus  honored  of  God  ;  made  the  instruments 
of  carrying  the  gospel  message  into  all  the  world, 
even  the  uttermost  parts !  Let  us  educate  our 
children  to  "  give  as  they  pray,  from  the  heart, 
and  as  a  means  of  grace." 

Mr.  Ried  had  some  eager  listeners  that  day. 
Helen  Betson  with  her  usual  interest,  followed 
him  all  through,  though  she  wondered  where  her 
portion  would  come  in.  The  subject  was  one 
which  had,  thus  far,  failed  to  gain  her  attention, 
further  than  that  she  dropped  her  money  into 
the  box  quite  as  a  matter  of  course.  Now  that 
she  considered  it  a  little,  she  was  forced  to  con- 
fess that  she  had  no  better  reason  than  the  com- 
mon one,  that  it  was  a  proper  thing  to  do.  All 
at  once  it  dawned  upon  her  that  she  was  privi- 
leged to  help  on  the  cause  of  Christ.  It  came 
like  a  wonderful  revelation,  and  with  it  came  re- 


276  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

flection,  of  how  little  she  had  been  doing  of  this 
work :  "  According  to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  which  he  hath  given  you."  To  Helen 
these  words  came  with  a  double  meaning, 
"According  to  the  blessing."  Abundantly  had 
the  Lord  blessed  her  with  every  good  gift. 
Her  Lord  and  Saviour  had  given  himself ;  there- 
fore, should  she  keep  back  the  offering  of  her 
own  life?  Rather  let  her  give  herself,  and  with 
her  money  let  her  give  her  sympathy,  her  in- 
terest, her  prayers.  The  whole  subject  of  be- 
nevolence stood  out  from  eveiything  else,  illumi- 
nated with  the  light  of  the  word  of  God.  How 
plain  it  all  seemed  to  her.  Her  life  and  her  means 
might  be  but  little  to  give,  yet,  had  not  God 
chosen  the  weak  things  to  confound  the  mighty  ? 
and  would  he  not  use  her  and  her  gifts  for  his 
own  glory  ?  The  little'sum  that  she  had  thought 
to  give  that  morning,  suddenly  seemed  very  small 
to  her,  and  she  was  glad  that  a  month's  allow- 
ance had  just  been  paid,  that  she  might  begin  at 
once  to  give  according  to  her  new  rule  —  "  Ac- 
cording to  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,"  and  with 
the  spirit  of  thankfulness  for  the  privilege. 
Mr.  Bates  seemed  not  quite  satisfied  with  the 


Christian  Giving.  277 

sermon,  if  one  might  judge  from  the  remarks 
which  he  made  to  his  wife,  who  was  not  pres- 
ent at  church. 

"  It  is  the  day  for  Foreign  Missions,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  must  say  that  we  had  the  queerest  anni- 
versary sermon,  this  morning,  that  I  ever  heard. 
There  was  not  a  word  of  Foreign  Missions  in  it 
from  beginning  to  end,  nor  any  kind  of  missions." 

"What  did  he  preach  about?"  asked  Mrs. 
Bates,  whose  confidence  in  her  pastor's  good 
sense  was  by  no  means  shaken  by  her  husband's 
imputation  of  queerness. 

"  Well,  his  subject  was  "  Christian  Giving." 
He  told  us  that  while  benevolence  should  be  a 
settled  principle,  we  ought  to  get  above  the  sim- 
ple thoughts  of  duty,  and  give  from  love  of  it. 
He  gave  us  some  good  thoughts,  but  not  a  single 
bit  of  information." 

"  Ah  !  And  how  many  copies  of  the  Mission- 
ary Herald  are  taken  in  the  congregation?" 
asked  Mrs.  Bates. 

"  About  fifty,  I  think,"  returned  the  gentle- 
man. 

"  Indeed  1  It  is  a  pity  he  had  not  thought  to 
give  a  few  statistics  to  a  congregation  with  such 


278  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

limited  means  of  knowing  tilings  for  them- 
selves !  "  said  Mrs.  Bates,  sarcastically. 

"  Well,"  persisted  Mr.  Bates,  "  it  would  have 
been  in  keeping  with  the  occasion,  if  he  had 
spoken  somewhat  at  length  of  the  importance  of 
the  work  and  of  its  progress." 

To  this  remark  the  lady  made  no  response,  but 
presently  she  asked : 

"  How  about  the  collection  ?  " 

The  gentleman  grew  animated  at  once,  and 
replied,  promptly : 

"  The  best  we  have  had  for  years  I  I  think  it 
was  double  that  of  last  year." 

"  Pity  about  the  sermon  !  "  said  his  wife,  as  if 
she  had  not  heard  the  reply  to  her  question. 

Mr.  Bates  looked  at  her  curiously,  and  re- 
plied : 

"Oh?  the  sermon  was  well  enough." 

"  So  I  should  judge,"  she  returned  ;  adding : 
"  I  presume  that  you  gave  the  same  as  usual  to 
the  cause  ?  " 

Mr.  Bates  hesitated,  wondering  what  prompted 
the  question  ;  finally  he  answered  : 

"  Well,  no ;  I  gave  just  double  the  amount 
which  I  calculated  to." 


Christian  Giving.  279 

"  Ah !     How  did  that  happen  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  can't  tell ;  only  it  seemed  a 
pleasant  thing  to  do,  and  I  knew  that  even  that 
was  not  as  God  has  prospered  us." 

Mrs.  Bates  smiled,  and  thought  within  herself: 
"  Whatever  the  sermon  may  have  been,  it  seems 
to  have  done  its  work.  I  don't  think  we  need 
question  the  wisdom  or  appropriateness  of 
preaching  that  brings  forth  good  results." 

On  his  way  down  to  evening  service  Mr.  Nor- 
ton Graves  stepped  in  to  consult  Mr.  Bates  about 
a  notice  to  be  given  out  from  the  desk.  You 
see  Mr.  Graves  had  stepped  into  the  business 
matters  of  the  church  as  though  he  had  always 
belonged  there. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  the  sermon  this 
morning  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Bates. 

"  Think  of  it !  Why,  I  have  been  thinking  of 
it  all  the  afternoon;  and  I  have  concluded  that 
we  have,  as  a  rule,  very  slight  conceptions  as  to 
the  height  of  privilege  to  which  God  would  exalt 
us.  The  words,  "  co-workers  with  God,"  raise 
one  to  a  summit  of  blessing  and  honor  scarcely 
to  be  realized.  I  feel  as  if  we  must  open  our 
hearts  to  take  in  the  whole  world  ;  it  is  full  of 


280  Echoing  and  Re-echoing, 

sin  and  sorrow,  blindness  and  degradation ;  and 
we,  who  have  been  healed,  must  hasten  to  spread 
the  glad  news  of  the  healing  power." 

"  Yes,  it  is  true  ;  we  are  not  doing  all  we 
might,"  returned  Mr.  Bates,  who  decided  that  it 
would  not  do  to  criticise  a  sermon  which  had 
given  rise  to  such  impulses  as  these.  "  I  have 
always  meant  to  give  liberally  ;  but  I  felt  this 
morning  that  I  had  been  niggardly  in  my  con- 
tributions to  enterprises  outside  our  own 
church." 

"  If,  as  individuals,  we  find  that,  as  we  go  out- 
side our  own  souls  and  seek  to  help  others,  we 
bring  a  blessing  upon  ourselves,  so,  I  suppose 
that,  as  a  church,  we  may  expect  to  increase, 
even  by  scattering." 

"  Old  Deacon  Barnard  used  to  say  that  Solo- 
mon spoke  the  literal  truth  in  the  text  which  you 
have  partly  quoted,  and  that  the  Lord  always 
returned  to  him  many  fold  all  that  he  gave  to 
the  cause  of  benevolence,"  said  Mrs.  Bates. 

"  Then,  if  one  could  bring  himself  to  take  so 
low  a  view  of  the  matter,  it  would  pay,  as  a 
pecuniary  investment,  to  be  liberal,"  said  Mr. 
Bates. 


Christian  Giving.  281 

"That,  certainly,  is  not  the  highest  view  to 
take  of  it,"  replied  the  other  gentleman;  "but 
the  thought  may  not  be  unworthy  of  considera- 
tion. If,  as  we  were  told  this  morning,  we  give 
as  a  privilege,  we  may  surely  be  glad  to  know 
that,  by  our  giving,  we  shall  not  be  impoverished, 
but  still  have  something  to  give.  I  suppose 
that  if  we  could  get  into  that  habit  of  mind  that 
would  lead  us  to  thank  the  solicitor  for  the  op- 
portunity to  give,  we  should  come  nearer  the 
Bible  thought  about  the  matter." 

Mr.  Bates  did  not  reply  immediately.  This 
young  brother  was  reaching  and  grasping  the 
sweet  mysteries  of  the  Christian's  life,  its  duties 
and  privileges,  in  a  way  that  astonished  this  man, 
who  had  been  years  in  the  race,  and  he  thought 
within  himself:  u  The  ground  must  have  been 
well  prepared  for  the  seed  when  it  makes  such  a 
rapid  and  vigorous  growth,  and,  looking  back  for 
a  little,  he  reflected  how  earnest  had  been  the 
effort  of  the  pastor  to  so  present  the  truth,  that 
all  might  have  a  clear  perception  of  the  great 
principles  underlying  all  Christian  living ;  and  so 
there  came  to  this  man  the  conviction  that  many 
of  his  criticisms  upon  the  style  of  preaching  had 


282  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

been  wasted.  He  was  conscious,  in  his  own 
soul,  of  a  growth  be}rond  that  of  other  years. 
How  was  it,  that  after  living  so  long,  compara- 
tively inactive,  in  the  service  of  Christ,  he  had 
been  stirred  to  effort,  even  to  personal  effort,  for 
the  saving  of  a  soul  ?  "  When  he  spoke  again 
he  said : 

"  Well,  I  suppose  if  we  could  get  at  the  Bible 
thought,  about  most  things,  we  should  find  things 
cleared  up  a  good  deal." 

Mr.  Graves  rose  to  go. 

"  About  this  notice.  Do  you  think  it  best  to 
add  that  a  collection  will  be  taken  for  the  benefit 
of  the  cause  at  the  close  of  the  lecture  ?  Of 
course,  the  object  of  presenting  the  subject  is  to 
awaken  an  interest,  so  as  to  gain  supporters ;  but 
how  will  our  people  receive  it?" 

"  Judging  from  to  day's  collection  they  will  be 
ready.  Yes ;  announce  a  collection  by  all  means ; 
at  least,  state  that  there  will  be  an  opportunity 
to  contribute,"  was  Mr.  Bates'  ready  reply. 

And  this  was  the  man  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  excuse  himself  too  often  from  contribut- 
ing to  various  causes  foreign  to  themselves,  by 
quoting  the  old  adage,  "Charity  begins  at 


Christian  Giving.  283 

home."  What  had  become  of  his  prudence  in  these 
matters  ? 

On  his  way  to  the  church  Mr.  Graves  met  two 
or  three  others,  to  whom  he  spoke  of  this  matter 
and  found  that  their  views  corresponded  with 
those  of  himself  and  Mr.  Bates ;  so  he  thought 
Mr.  Ried  seemed  a  little  doubtful. 

"  I  am  satisfied  that  we  ought  to  give  liberally 
to  this  cause,"  he  said  ;  "  but  you  know  our  peo- 
ple do  not  respond  very  promptly  to  the  calls  of 
the  collection-box,  and  I  always  feel  ashamed  of 
a  small  result." 

"  Well,"  responded  Mr.  Graves,  "  I  think  we 
had  better  try  it.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
our  education  is  progressing." 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

FRAGMENTS. 
Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain  that  nothing  be  lost." 


iANTIME,  at  the  Elmers,  they  had  been 
looking  forward  to  changes  in  their  life, 
changes  with  which  the  "  something,"  that  Prof. 
Graves  wanted  to  "  talk  over  with  his  brother, 
had  largely  to  do  —  changes  which  would  fall 
sadly  upon  Rachel.  Mrs.  Norton  Graves  was 
there,  spending  a  day,  helping  Lydia  with  her 
sewing,  when  Mrs.  Coville  ran  in  for  a  word  with 
Rachel.  Carrying  her  sad  heart  and  heavy  bur- 
dens, she  often  came  to  Rachel  for  counsel  and 
comfort. 

284 


Fragments.  285 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  is,"  she  said  to  Mrs. 
Graves,  as  they  sat  together,  while  Rachel  went 
to  hunt  out  a  bit  of  cloth  to  match  the  gray  of 
Freddy  Coville's  pants ;  "  once  I  should  never 
have  thought  of  coming  to  Rachel  for  such  a 
thing,  not  that  I  ever  thought  her  penurious,  or 
unwilling  to  grant  a  favor ;  but  it  seemed  so  un- 
like her  to  want  to  take  the  trouble  to  help  any 
one ;  she  and  Lydia  seldom  needed  to  ask 
favors,  and  it  was  always  very  hard  to  come  to 
them ;  it  seemed  as  if  they  didn't  like  the  bother 
of  it." 

"And  now?  "  asked  Mrs.  Graves. 

"Wh}r,  Rachel  Elmer  is  the  best  friend  I 
have  !  And  how  different  things  are  here  in  this 
old  house  !  They  used  to  be  so  much  alone ; 
but  since  they  got  to  living  so  much  for  other 
folks,  this  house  has  come  to  be  the  dropping-in 
place  of  the  neighbors." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Graves,  "  and  I  sometimes 
•wonder  how  Rachel  has  reconciled  herself  to  the 
surrender  of  the  old-time  quiet  aud  order  of  the 
place." 

"  And  these  new-comers,"  said  Mrs.  Coville  ; 
"  it  seems  very  queer  to  hear  the  little  girl  go- 


286  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

ing  about  the  house,  up  and  down  stairs,  follow- 
ing Miss  Rachel  about,  as  though  she  had  lived 
here  all  her  life." 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  strange,  but  providental,"  re- 
turned Mrs.  Graves. 

This  was  the  story  of  the  new-comers. 
Away  back,  during  the  stormy,  blustering  March 
days,  there  had  come  to  the  sisters  a  message 
like  this  : 

DEAR  RAY  : — Can  you  come  to  me,  for  the 
sake  of  the  dear  mother,  mine  by  adoption  ?  Will 
you  come  ?  Will  you  come  to  one  who  fears  that 
she  has  not  long  to  live  ? 

Your  cousin,  MARY. 

Making  a  few  hurried  preparations,  Rachel 
took  a  long  journey,  and  a  few  days  later  Lyclia 
received  a  letter. 

"Dear  Lydia,"  it  ran,  "you  and  I  need  not 
have  worried  about  my  loneliness  when  you  were 
away  ;  the  Lord  has  provided  for  this  as  for  all 
other  needs.  Our  Mary  is  not  dying.  The  doc- 
tor says  that  with  rest  of  body  and  mind  she  may 
live  for  years  ;  and  this  rest,  which  she  needs,  I 
propose  to  give  her,  as  far  as  I  can.  Only  G«»d 


Fragments.  287 

can  give  peace  to  the  soul ;  yet,  with  worldly 
cares  off  her  mind,  I  trust  that  she  will  not  be 
unmindful  of  Him  who  has,  thus  far,  cared  for 
her.  As  soon  as  she  can  be  moved,  which  may 
be  in  a  fortnight,  I  shall  bring  her  home,  with 
her  daughter,  another  Ray.  Her  husband's  death 
quite  overcame  her,  and  she  has  never  recovered 
from  the  prostration  which  followed.  They  are 
not  poor;  and  she  insists  upon  making  it  a  con- 
dition of  her  retnrn  with  me,  that  she  be  allowed 
to  pay  for  her  board.  I  do  not  believe  that  I 
will  give  up  the  school,  and  I  have  been  think- 
ing about  asking  Mrs.  Gordon  to  take  the  posi- 
tion of  housekeeper  in  my  establishment.  She  is 
in  want  of  a  home,  and  is  of  the  household  of 
faith  ;  however,  we  can  talk  this  all  over  when  I 
get  back." 

All  this  came  about  to  the  surprise  of  every- 
body. It  seemed  like  a  revolution  in  their  way 
of  living.  This  introduction  of  three  people,  and 
of  them  a  rollicking  girl,  would  be  likely  to  dis« 
turb  the  quiet  serenity  of  the  old  house  more 
than  the  daily  coming  and  going  of  Rachel's 
little  scholars ;  but  Rachel  always  insisted  that 
they  being  thus  thrown  upon  her  care  was  a 


288  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

special  providence,  and  one  of  her  special  causes 
for  gratitude. 

Coming  in  now  with  her  bit  of  gray  cloth, 
•which  she  was  sure  she  had  somewhere,  but 
which  it  had  taken  a  long  time  to  find,  she 
seemed  to  her  friends  to  have  grown  young  in 
the  last  few  months  —  and  she  felt  younger,  too. 
The  fresh,  young  life  of  her  namesake,  infused 
into  her  own,  brightened  everything,  and  she 
found  there  was  more  to  live  for  than  she  had 
fancied  in  the  days  when  she  spent  hours  and 
weeks  and  months  working  canvas  screens. 
The  very  screens  which  had  so  annoyed  Lydia 
stood  now  before  the  open  fire-place,  in  a  hand- 
some frame,  and  Rachel  sometimes  smiled  to 
herself  as  she  looked  at  it  and  wondered  how  she 
ever  found  time  to  work  canvas  scenes  ! 

The  days  flew  by,  and  the  morning  came  on 
which  Lydia  Elmer  was  to  be  married  to  Pro- 
fessor Graves.  Only  a  very  few  guests  were  in- 
vited—  just  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norton  Graves,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Vananden,  with  Tom  and  Helen  and 
Mr.  Niles,  and  Mr.  Lee,  with  a  few  neighbors. 

The  matter  of  the  bride's  dress  had  been  the 
cause  of  much  discussion  between  the  sisters. 


Fragments.  289 

Racliel  had  some  old-fashioned  ideas  as  to  an  ap- 
propriate costume  for  the  occasion  ;  she  thought 
it  should  be  either  white  or  very  light  silk,  and  a 
vail,  with  orange  blossoms,  was  indispensable. 
Lydia  argued  that  such  a  costume  would  be  a 
needless  expense. 

"  You  know,"  she  said,  "  That  I  look  like  a 
fright  in  light  colors ;  and  I  should  never  wear 
the  dress  again,  though  I  might  consent  to  make 
myself  look  ugly  for  once,  and  that,  when  I  ought 
to  look  my  prettiest !  " 

But  Rachel's  mother  was  married  in  a  white 
brocade,  that  stood  alone  and  had  been  kept 
sacredly,  to  be  handed  down  as  an  heirloom. 
Lydia  having  worn  it  once,  in  her  school  days, 
when  she  appeared  at  an  "  Old  Folks'  Concert," 
declared  now  that  she  had  enough  of  white  silk 
dresses ;  but  the  question  of  useless  expense 
finally  gained  the  day.  Rachel  held  out  long 
and  fought  bravely  for  her  ideas  of  propriety. 

"  What  do  people  do  who  can't  get  silk 
dresses  ?  "  asked  Lydia.  "  Mustn't  they  get  mar- 
ried because  they  must  disregard  the  proprie- 
ties ?  " 

"  Well,  I  can't  say  that  I  think  it  would  affect 


290  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

the  -validity  of  the  ceremony,"  replied  Rachel, 
laughing  ;  "  but  so  long  as  we  can  afford  it,  and 
it  is  such  a  pleasant  old-time  idea,  and  has  such 
associations,  I  can  not  bear  to  think  of  you 
in  any  other  costume.  I  feel  about  it  just  as  I 
do  about  the  Thanksgiving  dinners ;  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  unnecessary  work  and  expense  con- 
nected with  an  orthodox  Thanksgiving  dinner  ; 
but  the  associations  are  sacred,  and  it  seems  like 
a  religious  sacrifice,  and  then,  as  certain  things 
are  appropriate  and  sacred  to  the  house  of  God 
and  the  sacraments,  so  it  seems  to  me  that  these 
things  belong  to  the  wedding  feast.  And  as  to 
those  who  can  not  afford  them,  why,  it  is  just 
this,  it  is  having  the  best  you  can  afford." 

But  Lydia  could  not  be  convinced  that  it  was 
her  duty  to  make  a  martyr  of  herself  in  wearing 
a  white  silk  dress,  and  she  had  very  little  of  the 
reverence  for  ancient  customs  and  habits  which 
held  Rachel  to  an  observance  of  many  things  that 
seemed  very  foolish  to  the  younger  sister.  With 
Rachel  it  was  an  almost  morbid,  worshiping  pas- 
sion, for  that  which  bore  the  stamp  of  antiquity. 
The  quaint  old  house,  with  its  antique  furniture ; 
its  cabinets  and  its  closets,  filled  with  relics  of 


Fragments.  291 

those  who  had  dwelt  in  the  old  house  for  three 
or  four  generations,  were  among  her  dearest  treas- 
ures. And  now  this  3*011  ngest  and  only  remain- 
ing sister  proposed  to  adopt  the  modern  fashion 
of  being  married  in  a  brown  poplin  traveling 
suit ! 

It  was  Mr.  Ried's  sermon  on  Christian  giving 
that  reached  down  through  this  worshipful  love 
and  put  into  Rachel's  heart  such  thoughts  of  the 
beauty  of  benevolence,  that,  for  the  first  lime  in 
her  life,  she  was  sorry  she  had  not  more  to  give, 
and,  as  for  Lydia,  she  laid  a  note  upon  the  plate, 
saying  to  herself : 

"  There  goes  the  vail !  I  hope  Ray  will  give 
the  dress !  " 

Whether  she  did  or  not,  white  silk  dresses  and 
orange  flowers  suddenly  lost  favor,  and  she  sewed 
away  on  the  brown  poplin  as  contentedly  as 
though  she  had  never  thought  on  any  other 
material  for  the  bridal  costume. 

The  newly-married  pair  were  to  leave  at  once 
for  the  West,  where  Professor  Graves  expected 
to  take  up  the  work  of  an  evangelist.  His 
labors  at  the  Harley  Mission  hud  developed  an 
amount  of  latent  talent  that  had  surprised  both 


292  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

himself  and  his  friends ;  and  now  that  there  were 
others  to  take  up  the  work  he  was  going  to  a 
wider  field.  The  heart  of  the  pastor  rejoiced 
that  they  were  able  to  send  out  into  the  fields 
beyond  their  own  borders  such  efficient  workers. 
Dr.  Baumes  had  gone  to  a  place  where  Christian 
•workers  were  greatly  needed,  and  now  these 
two  were  going.  Tom  Betson,  the  manly  boy, 
all  aglow  with  zeal,  was  entering  upon  a  period 
of  preparation  for  his  life-work,  but  in  the  mean- 
time was  reaching  out,  seeking  to  draw  within 
the  field  his  companions.  One  other  was  about 
to  go  forth  as  a  worker,  but  Mr.  Ried  did  not 
know  of  this  as  yet. 

During  the  hour  devoted  to  congratulations 
and  "  refreshments "  Mr.  Lee  and  Lydia  had  a 
bit  of  talk. 

"You  remember  the  words  }*ou  said  to  me  a 
few  weeks  ago  about  the  way  to  find  out  one's 
duty." 

"I  remember  the  talk  to  which  you  refer," she 
said,  "though  I  do  not  remember  what- 1  said." 

"  I  told  you  that  it  was  a  question  that  puzzled 
me,  whether  I  should  go  or  stay,"  said  Mr.  Lee  ; 
"but  I  think  the  question  is  decided." 


Fragments.  293 

"  And  you  ?  — " 

"  Go !  That  last  Thursday's  prayer-meeting 
talk  decided  me.  I  thought  before  when  I 
talked  with  you  that  I  only  needed  to  know  the 
way,  and  I  would  'go  forward,'  but  I  found  that 
there  was  something  else  in  the  way.  I  hud 
not  acknowledged  the  'authority  of  Jesus,' 
but  listening  to  Mr.  Ried's  remarks  upon  that 
text,  and  his  application  of  it  to  the  two  men  at 
work  by  the  sea,  I  began  to  realize  that  the  calls 
of  the  Lord  are  imperative.  He  said  :  '  Come  ye 
after  me :  And  straightway  they  forsook  their 
nets  and  followed  him. ' ' 

It  was  Lydia  who  quoted  the  verse,  and  Mr. 
Lee  responded : 

"Yes,  'straightway'  they  acknowledged  his 
authority  and  rendered  prompt  obedience,  though 
they  knew  not  whither  he  would  lead  them. 
And  consider  the  result!  To  these  and  others 
was  afterward  given  the  command  to  preach  to 
*  all  nations.'  Those  men  were,  I  suppose,  as 
full  of  business  concerns  in  their  way  as  I  am  in 
mine.  If  I  have  any  talent  he  wants  that,  or 
any  latent  —  here  he  smiled  — '  energy '  he  wants 
that.  Shall  I  leave  all  and  follow  him  in  that 


294  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

way?  I  tell  you,  Mrs.  Graves,"  Lyclia  started 
to  hear  herself  addressed  by  that  name,  "  I  know 
that  the  Master's  vineyard  is  suffering  for  the 
want  of  laborers  ;  can  I  hold  back?" 

"  No  you  can  not"  she  answered. 

"  So  I  think :  therefore  I  shall  close  my  office 
here  as  soon  as  I  can  make  a  transfer  of  my 
business,  and  get  at  once  into  the  work  of  pre- 
paration." 

"  For  the  regular  ministry  ? "  asked  Mrs. 
Graves. 

"  I  think  so  ;  I  have  counseled  with  no  one  ex- 
cept your  husband,  but  I  shall  see  Mr.  Ried,  to- 
day. I  felt  the  thrill  of  that  command  all  through 
me  all  day  last  Sabbath,  and  it  seems  as  if  there 
were  nothing  for  me  but  to  preach  the  gospel." 

"I  am  glad  that  you  are  going  to  do  it,"  re- 
turned Lydia,  "  but  what  has  become  of  your 
idea  which  you  labored  so  earnestly  to  persuade 
Tom  Betson  into,  last  fall,  that  Christian  lawyers 
were  needed,  and  he  might  better  study  law  with 
you  than  to  study  theology  ?  " 

"  That  idea  has  resolved  into  this,  that  while 
lawyers  should  be  Christians  as  the  ministerial 
profession  is  far  more  important  than  the  legal,  it 


Fragments.  295 

has  stronger  claims  upon  those  who  have  a  fit- 
ness for  it.  I  have  no  great  fondness  for  law 
and  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  any  especial  fit- 
ness for  the  work  of  the  ministry  ;  but  this  I  am 
sure  of,  it  is  better  to  try  to  persuade  men  not  to 
quarrel  than  to  help  them  settle  quarrels." 

"  But  so  long  as  men  will  quarrel  there  must 
be  some  one  to  help  them  back  to  peace,"  said 
Lydia. 

"  True  ;  and  I  am  not  sure  that  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten  the  minister  would  not  do  better  work 
in  the  case  than  the  lawyer." 

"  Especially  if  he  were  half  lawyer,"  she  said, 
laughing. 

Then  her  husband  came  to  say  that  it  was  time 
to  go,  and  she  held  out  her  hand,  saying,  "  Well, 
Mr.  Lee,  I  can  only  repeat  what  I  said  before, 
'  Go  forward.'  " 

"Thank  you." 

And  so  the  workers  parted,  to  meet  perhaps 
this  side,  perhaps  that.  And  Rachel  gathered 
up  the  fragments  of  the  feast,  feeling  as  if  there 
were  other  fragments  to  be  gathered  up.  Just 
then  she  realized  that  there  is  nothing  whole  or 
complete  in  this  life,  nevertheless  the  command 


296  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

is,  "  Gather  up  the  fragments,  that  nothing  be 
lost."  Should  she  not,  then,  use  the  remnant  of 
her  life  for  the  Master  of  the  feast  ? 

And  Mr.  Lee,  had  he  aught  but  fragments  to 
give  to  the  Master?  He  had  spent  the  early 
morning  in  idle  indifference  to  the  claim  which 
he  now  acknowledged.  He  had  acquired  habits 
of  thinking  that  would  always  be  a  trouble  and 
vexation.  He  had  spent  3rears  in  studies  and 
pursuits  that  could  be  of  very  little  advantage  to 
him  in  the  calling  for  which  he  was  now  about  to 
be  fitted. 

And  yet  this  is  the  command  of  the  Lord  him- 
self, "  Gather  up  the  fragments." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

UP  THE  MOUNTAIN. 

"  Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our 
Faith." 


ELENI   Helen!" 

It  was  Jenny  Vosburgh's  voice  that 
came  up  to  Helen  as  she  sat  in  her  own  room 
one  summer  morning  engaged  in  the  rery 
interesting  occupation  of  darning  stockings. 
There  were  at  least  a  dozen  things  that  she  would 
rather  be  doing  at  that  very  moment ;  but  stock- 
ings had  a  very  provoking  way  of  wearing  out 
and  Helen  had  periodical  spasms  of  order,  and 
one  of  them  had  come  upon  her  this  morning. 
She  recognized  Jenny's  voice,  and  answered, 

cheerily : 

297 


298  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Well !  come  up  !  " 

Helen's  opinion  of  her  old  schoolmate  had 
changed  somewhat  since  that  day  when  she 
fought  with  her  conscience-over  her  duty  to  be 
kind  and  helpful  toward  Jenny.  Three  years 
in  passing  had  brought  many  changes.  Jenny 
had  been  away,  first  at  school,  then  traveling 
considerably,  and  had  developed  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  which  made  her  more  attractive  than 
of  old  ;  and,  best  of  all,  she  was  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian. Dr.  and  Mrs.  Vananden  were  still  with 
Mrs.  Betson,  having  found  their  home  there  so 
pleasant  that  they  had  never  gone  to  housekeep- 
ing again ;  and  Mrs.  Vanauden  was  still  the 
friend  and  counselor  of  Helen  Betsou,  and  now 
Jenny  had  been  drawn  within  the  circle  of  her 
influence.  It  is  really  wonderful,  the  power  of 
one  consecrated  life  in  shaping  and  molding 
the  character  of  young  girls  brought  under  the 
influence  of  that  life  !  Helen  had  grown  to  be 
quite  content,  though  her  path  had  not  been 
quite  smooth.  There  had  been  the  little  inequal- 
ities of  the  everyday  walk,  light  weights  to  be 
cast  aside,  besetting  sins  to  be  overcome,  obstacles 
to  be  overcome,  such  as  all  meet  with  ;  and, 


Up  The  Mountain.  299 

added  to  these,  there  had  been  a  few  darker  days 
in  the  history  of  the  last  year,  days  of  struggle 
and  pain,  days  when  to  express  her  feelings  would 
have  been  to  cry  out,  "  If  it  be  possible,  let  me 
not  drink  of  this  bitter  cup  !  "  But  there  soon 
came  the  needed  strength,  and  she  could  say, 
"  Not  my  will,  but  thine  !  "  And  as  she  re- 
sponded to  Jenny's  salutation,  there  was  no  trace 
of  the  conflict,  except  the  added  sweetness  and 
beauty  of  her  face. 

Out  on  the  hillside,  where  Robert  Niles  had 
begun  his  career  as  a  Christian  worker,  a  neat 
little  church  was  fast  approaching  completion,  and 
Jenny's  errand  was  to  invite  Helen  to  ride  out  to 
Clarkson. 

"  Mr.  Niles  has  invited  us  both,  and  he  will  be 
around  in  half  an  hour,"  explained  Jenny.  "  Can 
you  leave  those  horrid  stockings,  and  go  with 
us?" 

Helen's  spasm  of  putting  to  rights  yielded  to 
Jenny's  energetic  treatment,  the  prospect  of  a 
ride  proving  a  positive  antidote. 

"  To  be  sure  I'll  go,"  she  said,  promptly  ;  and 
tossing  her  work  into  the  basket  to  wait  for 
another  spasm,  she  ran  down  to  tell  her  mother, 


300  Echoing  and  He-echoing. 

and  arrange  with  the  cook  about  certain  matters 
pertaining  to  the  dinner,  and  then  came  back  to 
hurry  into  an  appropriate  toilet.  One  thing  was 
noticeable  about  Helen  Betson  ;  her  toilets  were 
always  appropriate.  No  matter  what  the  hour, 
the  occasion,  or  the  weather,  she  was  always  pro- 
perly dressed.  The  neat  gray  dress  and  wrap, 
relieved  by  the  blue  wing  that  ornamented  the 
hat,  which  exactly  matched  the  dress  in  color, 
made  a  very  suitable  toilet  for  a  ride  out  into  the 
country.  It  was  one  of  those  matchless  summer 
mornings,  when  earth  and  sky,  and  the  very  air 
we  breathe,  are  full  of  the  glory  of  the  Creator. 
The  quiet  dignity  of  Mr.  Niles  did  not  particular- 
ly check  the  liveliness  of  Miss  Jenny.  That 
young  lady  was  quite  irrepressible,  though  she 
expected  soon  to  occupy  the  position  of  the  wife 
of  one  of  the  most  influential  business  men  of  the 
city,  and  one  equally  eminent  as  a  working 
Christian,  none  other  than  Mr.  Niles  himself  I 
Of  course  she  was  interested  in  the  new  church 
out  at  Clarkson ! 

After  an  hour's  ride  they  came  out  upon  the 
"  Ridge,"  as  it  was  called,  and  stopped  at  a  curve 
of  the  road  to  take  a  look  down  the  valley  upon 


Up  The  Mountain.  301 

the  little  city  below,  the  river,  the  busy  fac- 
tories, and  the  farming  country  lying  around  all. 

"How  high  up  we  are!"  exclaimed  Jenny. 
"  I  haven't  realized  at  all  that  we  were  getting  so 
far  above  the  level  of  the  city" 

"  And  yet  you  know  that  there  was  a  height 
to  be  attained  ?  "  questioned  Mr.  Niles. 

"  Yes ;  but  I  suppose  I  had  an  idea  that  we 
were  to  make  a  steady  ascent,  all  the  time  going 
up  ;  instead  of  that  we  have  had  so  much  down- 
hill that  I  had  not  realized  that  we  were  actually 
making  progress  upward." 

"  Well,  you  see,  our  down-hills  did  not  take  us 
quite  down  into  the  valley,  and  each  upward 
stroke  has  brought  us  a  little  higher  than  we 
were  before,"  said  Mr.  Niles. 

"  I  see,"  returned  Jenny ;  "  but  suppose  we 
had  not  come  quite  so  far  up,  and  had  just 
stopped  down  there  at  Mr.  Davis'  ?  " 

"  Well?  "  questioned  the  gentleman,  not  quite 
falling  in  with  her  thought. 

"  Why,  you  see,  if  we  had  not  come  up  to  just 
this  point,  but  had  stopped  a  little  short  of  it,  we 
should  never  have  known  that  we  had  risen  at 
all." 


802  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that  ?  "  Were  you  not  con- 
scious of  breathing  a  purer  atmosphere,  of  being 
lifted  above  the  smoke,  and  the  din  and  turmoil 
of  the  life  down  there  ?  "  returned  Mr.  Niles. 

"  Well,  yes  ;  only  I  didn't  put  it  so.  I  knew 
that  I  was  happy,  but  I  didn't  think  about  its 
being  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere  that  made  me 
so,"  said  Jenny. 

"And  you  find  in  this  an  illustration  of  our 
climbing  in  a  spiritual  sense  ?  "  questioned  Mr. 
Niles.  «*  Is  that  your  thought  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  was  thinking  about  Mr.  Ried's  ser- 
mon last  Sabbath  morning.  It  must  be  worth  a 
few  struggles  to  attain  such  a  height  as  that 
•which  he  spoke  of  so  glowingly  ;  and  the  climb- 
ing, that  seems  very  much  like  this  we  have  done 
to-day,  plenty  of  down-hill.  Sometimes  I  think 
it  is  most  all  down!"  This  last  with  a  half 
sigh. 

"  But  when  you  come  out  in  the  clear  light, 
and  look  back  along  the  way  in  which  you  have 
been  led,  then  you  will  see  that  there  has  been  a 
gain,"  replied  Mr.  Niles. 

Helen  had  been  silent  during  this  talk,  her 
face  wearing  a  thoughtful  expression.  Now 


Up  The  Mountains.  303 

Jenny  turned  suddenly  toward  her,  and  said : 

"  Helen,  what  have  you  steeping  in  that  busy 
brain  of  yours  ?  I  know  by  your  face  that  you 
*  have  a  thought, '  as  we  say  in  the  game." 

"It  is  nothing,"  returned  Helen;  "only, 
might  there  not  be  a  steady  upward  course, 
without  these  decents  into  the  valleys,  that 
make  the  journey  so  long  and  tiresome  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  would  have  a  graded  path,"  said 
Jenny,  laughing.  "  Those  are  modern  inven- 
tions, and  I  don't  believe  we  will  ever  apply  the 
principle  to  the  religious  life." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  all  climbing  is  not  like 
this  we  have  done  to-day  ;  some  hills  have  half- 
way places,  where  you  may  halt  and  take  a  re- 
trospective view,  instead  of  waiting  until  you 
reach  the  summit.  It  seems  as  though  we  ought 
to  know  if  we  are  gaining  anything." 

"And  all  Christian  experience  is  not  alike.  If 
we  come  into  the  possession  of  the  rest  of  trust, 
we  may  not  attain  it  in  the  same  way  that  others 
have.  You  know  Mr.  Ried  said  that  one  might 
suddenly  come  into  the  light  and  blessedness  of 
this  stage  of  progress,  recognizing  it  as  a  most 
wonderful  lifting  up  of  the  soul  toward  heaven 


304  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

and  Christ.  All  at  once  burdens  will  drop  away, 
selfishness  and  bitterness  will  be  taken  out  of  the 
heart,  and  rest  and  love  and  perfect  peace  will 
take  their  place.  Or  all  might  come  upon  one 
gradually,  little  by  little,  without  a  consciousness 
of  any  time  when  this  new  trust,  this  oneness 
with  Christ,  was  attained.  But  the  blessed  re- 
sults are  in  any  case  the  same."  This  from  Mr. 
Niles,  as  they  drove  slowly  along  the  Ridge 
road. 

"  We  were  talking  the  matter  over  at  home," 
said  Jenny,  "  and  I  said  that  if  it  was  all  true, 
that  we  might  claim  the  promise  and  have  the 
indwelling  of  the  Spirit.  Why  don't  we,  for 
surely  we  all,  as  Christians,  desire  it,  and  what  is 
to  hinder  ?  "  And  Mrs.  Vananden  said  that  it 
was  because  we  would  not  make  room  for 
Christ ;  that  he  could  not  come  with  the  fullness 
of  his  power  into  a  heart  which  held  aught  which 
was  displeasing  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  Yes,"  returned  Mr.  Niles,  "  there  are  many 
things  to  hinder  our  progress.  Our  climbing 
must  necessarily  be  slow  and  difficult  so  long  as 
we  carry  heavy  weights.  We  ought  to  heed  the 


Up  The  Mountain.  305 

words  of  the  apostle,  and  '  lay  aside  every  weight.' 
It  is  certainly  our  privilege  to  grow  in  grace." 

Arriving  at  the  spot  where  the  new  church 
was  rapidly  going  up,  Mr.  Niles  left  the  girls  in 
the  carriage  while  he  went  to  speak  to  the  men 
who  were  at  work  upon  the  building. 

"  What  an  interest  Robert  takes  in  this  work  !  " 
said  Helen.  "  But  it  is  no  wonder,  for  it  has  all 
grown  out  of  the  seed  he  planted  here." 

"And  who  would  have  believed  that  a  church 
would  be  built  up  here,  or  that  the  people  would 
be  strong  enough  to  support  a  pastor  !  "  replied 
Jenny. 

"  Did  I  tell  you  I  went  down  to  the  Harley 
Mission  Chapel  last  Sabbath  afternoon  ?  "  con- 
tinued Jenny.  "  Mr.  Niles  has  taken  a  class 
there,  and  Mr.  Graves  wants  me  to  teach  a  class 
of  boys.  I  have  half  promised,  but  I  don't  feel 
as  though  I  were  fit  to  teach  ;  but  he  has  prom- 
ised to  let  me  off  just  as  soon  as  he  can  find  a 
better  one." 

Helen  smiled,  thinking  that  if  that  was  the 
condition,  Jenny  would  be  likely  to  retain  the 
class  for  a  time  at  least. 

"  Did  you  know   that  Emma  Patterson  was 


306  Echoing  and  Re-echoing. 

teaching  with  Rachel  Elmer?"  asked  Helen. 
"  You  remember  she  went  to  Boston  to  study  the 
Kindergarten  system,  and  now  she  is  going  to  in- 
troduce it  into  Rachel's  school." 

In  these  j^ears  "  Miss  Elmer's  School  for  Little 
Girls"  had  become  well  known  and  popular,  and, 
withal,  a  power  in  the  neighborhood.  Many  a 
a  young  girl  dated  a  new  era  in  her  life,  both  in- 
tellectual and  religious,  from  her  entrance  into 
the  school.  The  quaint  old  house,  so  unlike  its 
neighbors,  was  growing  to  be  wonderfully  at- 
tractive to  the  little  folks.  How  full  Rachel's 
life  hud  become !  Suppose  that  Mrs.  Coville, 
looking  on  and  thanking  God  that  he  had  raised 
up  such  a  friend  for  herself  and  her  children, 
never  thought  to  look  back  to  that  evening  when 
she  grumbled  over  her  pastor's  urgent  appeal  for 
more  workers,  and  to  connect  her  own  little  ef- 
fort, almost  unconscious  as  the  effort  was,  with 
the  growing  usefulness  of  this  woman  who  had 
been  roused  from  her  stupor  and  set  at  work. 

"  When  do  you  expect  Tom  ?  "  asked  Robert, 
as  he  returned  to  the  carriage  and  took  up  the 
reins  to  drive  on  to  the  home  of  his  old  friend, 


Up  The  Mountain.  307 

Mr.  Newton  Clark,  where  they  expected  to 
dine. 

"Next  week," replied  Helen. 

"  And  will  he  stay  until  he  enters  the  semi- 
nary ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  though  he  may  join  Prof.  Graves 
for  a  time.  At  last  the  Professor  urges  him  to 
come,  and  I  believe  Mr.  Ried  thinks  it  would  be 
a  great  advantage  to  him  to  learn  something  of 
that  particular  work.  Mother  will  be  disap- 
pointed, but,  she  says  that  father  gave  Tom  to 
the  work,  and  she  must  not  hinder  him  in  his 
preparation." 

It  was  after  dinner,  as  they  were  left  alone  for 
a  few  moments,  sitting  on  the  piazza  which 
over-looked  the  valley,  that  Mr.  Niles  said  to 
Helen : 

"  I  had  a  letter  from  Mr.  Lee  last  evening ;  a 
good,  noble  letter.  Helen,  did  you  not  make  a 
mistake  ?  " 

"  No,  Robert,  no  !  I  am  sure  I  did  not ! "  And 
Helen  flushed  painfully.  "  I  told  you  this  morn- 
ing,'' she  continued,  "  that  father  gave  Tom  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  I  think  that  the 


308  Echoing  and   Re-echoing. 

Lord  gave  me  to  my  mother.  She  needs  me,  and 
my  first  duty  is  to,  her." 

"Yes,"  returned  Robert;  "I  ought  not  to 
have  spoken  that  way,  but — " 

"Don't  speak  of  it,"  said  Helen,  quickly.  "It 
has  taken  me  long  to  understand  the  leadings  of 
Providence,  and  I  do  not  fully  comprehend  now. 
Years  ago  I  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  work  for 
Christ  in  our  own  church,  and  thereupon  God 
shut  me  up  at  home.  But  you  know  how  he 
blessed  me,  even  in  my  rebellion,  by  permitting 
me  to  be  a  help  to  my  dear  father.  Then  I  was 
anxious  to  prepare  for  a  teacher,  thinking  to  do 
the  Master  service  in  that  way,  but  the  path  was 
again  closed,  and  a  greater  blessing  awaited  me. 
God  filled  my  need  in  the  friendship  and  counsel 
of  dear  Mrs.  Vananden,  and  so  it  has  been  al- 
ways." 

"  And  in  this  last  ?  "  asked  Robert  tenderly. 

"  In  this  I  do  not  yet  see  the  recompense,"  re- 
turned Helen  ;  "  but  of  this  I  am  sure,  that  '  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
the  Lord. '  " 

"  Mr.  Lee  writes  that  Dr.  Baumes  expects  to 
go  out  to  Japan  with  him,"  said  Mr.  Niles. 


Up  The  Mountain. 


309 


"  Our  own  church  will  be  well  represented  in  the 
mission  field." 

"  Yes,  and  after  the  harvest  the  laborers  will 
all  go  home  together,"  said  Helen  softly. 


THE  END. 


X7 


THE   CHAUTAUQUA    GIRLS  AT  HOME- 

By  Pansy.     12  mo.     Illustrated.     ........     I  50 

'  Par.sy  knows  girls,  and  has  the  gift  of  story-telling,  by  which 
the  hard  facts  of  every  -day  life  take  on  a  charm  as  of  fairy-land.  No 
one  can  look  into  '  The  Chautauqua  Girls  '  without  feeling  the 
subtle  fascination  of  its  pictures  of  quiet  life,  and  being  drawn  into 
warm  sympathy  with  the  four  friends  who  long  to  form  noble  char- 
acters. They  have  been  won  to  a  love  of  Jesus  by  attending  a 
camp-meeting  at  Chautauqua  ;  but  they  find  it  so  hard  to  be  true 
to  their  new  impulses,  and  to  carry  the  spirit  of  the  Dible  into 
erery-day  life,  that  the  story  of  (heir  struggles,  disheartening  fail- 
ures relieved  by  partial  successes,  is  very  human  and  full  of  genuine 
pathos.  It  is  good  summer  reading,  for  beguiling  away  hours,  and 
inspiring  with  generous  purposes." 

"Pansy's  last  book,  'The  Chautauqua  Girls  at  Home,'  is  as 
fresh  and  inspiring  as  a  fine  morning  in  June.  The  four  friends, 
Marion,  Ruth,  Flossy  and  Eurie,  are  of  genuine  flesh  and  blood, 
with  the  petty  weaknesses  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  and  the  noble  aspi- 
rations that  come  at  times  to  every  high-minded  girl.  Their  unlike- 
ness  to  each  other  in  character  and  social  position,  and  their  mutual 
helpfulness  in  all  sorts  of  difficulties  make  a  delightful  story  ;  in- 
structive as  well  as  fascinating.  One  finds  it  hard  to  lay  down  the 
book  after  beginning  the  first  chapter.  It  will  find  many  readers 
who  will  welcome  its  stimulating  power  to  high  aims  in  life,  ^"d  to 
patience  and  hope  in  fighting  hard  battles." 

Boston:  D.  LOTHROP  fr  CO,  Prilisktri. 


CHEERFUL  WOKDS.» 

In  the  whole  range  of  English  literature  we  can  call  to 
mind  the  works  of  no  single  author  to  which  the  title, 
"Cheerful  "Words."  can  more  properly  apply  than  to  those  of 
George  Macdonald.  It  exactly  expresses  the  element  which 
permeates  everything  from  his  pen,  whether  sermon,  essay, 
story  or  poem  —  an  element  which  strengthens  while  it 
cheers,  which  instills  new  light  and  life  into  the  doubting  or 
discouraged  soul,  and  incites  it  to  fresh  effort. 

In  the  volume  before  us  the  editor  has  brought  together, 
with  a  careful  and  judicious  hand,  some  of  the  choicest  pas- 
sages from  Macdonald's  works,  written  in  various  keys  and 
upon  various  subjects,  but  all  marked  by  healthy  sentiment 
and  sunshiny  feeling.  In  quoting  what  a  late  critic  has  said 
of  the  " electrical  consciousness"  which  characterizes  his 
writings,  the  editor  remarks:  "The  breadth  and  manliness 
of  tone  and  sentiment,  the  deep  perceptions  of  human 
nature,  the  originality,  fancy  and  pathos,  the  fresh,  out-of- 
door  atmosphere  everywhere  appareut;  above  all,  the  earnest, 
wholesome,  but  always  unobtrusive  religious  teaching  that 
underlies  all  his  writings,  give  to  the  works  of  George  Mac- 
donald a  certain  magnetic  power  that  is  indescribable." 
And  in  the  selections  here  made  that  power  is  singularly  ap- 
parent. By  turns  they  touch  the  heart,  fire  the  imagination, 
moisten  the  eyes,  arouse  the  sympathies,  and  bring  into 
active  exercise  the  better  feelings  and  instincts  of  mind  and 
heart. 

The  introduction  to  the  volume  is  from  the  pen  of  James 
T.  Fields,  a  personal  friend  and  ardent  admirer  of  the  au- 
thor. He  regards  Macdonald  as  a  master  of  his  art,  and 
believes  in  holding  up  for  admiration  those  like  him,  who 
have  borne  witness  to  the  eternal  beauty  and  cheerful  capa- 
bilities of  the  universe  around  us,  and  who  are  lovingly 
reminding  us,  whenever  they  write,  of  the  "  holiness  of  help- 
fulness." 

*Cheerful  Words.  By  George  Macdonald.  Introduction  by  James  T. 
Fields,  and  Biography  by  Emma  E.  Brown.  Spare  Minute  Series.  Boston: 
D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  fi.oo. 


RECENT     BOOKS. 

YEJTSIE  "WALTON.  By  Mrs.  S.  R.  Graham  Clark.  Bos- 
ton: D.  Lotbrop  &  Co.  $1.50.  Of  the  many  good  books 
which  the  Messrs.  Lothrop  have  prepared  for  the  shelves  of 
Sunday-school  libraries,  "  Tcnsie  Walton "  is  one  of  the 
best.  It  is  a  sweet,  pure  story  of  girl  life,  quiet  as  the  flow 
of  a  brook,  and  yet  of  sufficient  interest  to  hold  the  attention 
of  the  most  careless  reader.  Yensie  is  an  orphan,  who  has 
found  a  home  with  an  uncle,  a  farmer,  some  distance  from 
the  city.  Her  aunt,  a  coarse,  vulgar  woman,  and  a  tyrant 
in  the  household,  does  her  best  to  humiliate  her  by  making 
her  a  domestic  drudge,  taking  away  her  good  clothing  and 
exchanging  it  for  coarse,  ill-fitting  garments,  and  scolding 
her  from  morning  till  night.  This  treatment  develops  a 
spirit  of  resistance;  the  mild  and  affectionate  little  girl  be- 
comes passionate  and  disobedient,  aud  the  house  is  the 
scene  of  continual  quarrels.  Fortunately,  her  uncle  insists 
upon  her  attending  school,  and  in  the  teacher,  Miss  Gray, 
she  finds  her  first  real  friend.  In  making  her  acquaintance 
a  new  life  begins  for  her.  She  is  brought  in  contact  with 
new  and  better  influences,  and  profiting  by  them  becomes  in 
time  a  sunbeam  in  her  uncle's  house,  and  the  means  of 
softening  the  heart  and  quieting  the  tongue  of  the  aunt  who 
was  once  her  terror  and  dread.  Mrs.  Clark  has  a  very  pleas- 
ing style,  and  is  especially  skilful  in  the  construction  of  her 
stories. 

"Yensie  Walton"  is  a  story  of  great  power,  by  a  new 
author.  It  aims  to  show  that  God  uses  a  stern  discipline  to 
form  the  noblest  characters,  and  that  the  greatest  trials  of 
life  often  prove  the  greatest  blessings.  The  story  is  subor- 
dinate to  this  moral  aim,  and  the  earnestness  of  the  author 
breaks  out  into  occasional  preaching.  But  the  story  is  full 
of  striking  incident  and  scenes  of  great  pathos,  with  occa- 
sional gleams  of  humor  and  fnn  by  way  of  relief  to  the  more 
tragic  parts  of  the  narrative.  The  characters  are  strongly 
drawn,  and,  in  general,  are  thoroughly  human,  not  gifted 
with  impossible  perfections  but  having  those  infirmities  of 
the  flesh  which  make  us  all  akin. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


NEXT  THINGS.  By  Pansy.  A  Story  for  Little  Folks. 
Fully  illustrated.  Boston :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00. 
This  is  a  bright  little  story  with  two  heroes,  and  the  lesson 
It  tries  to  teach  young  readers  is  to  do  the  work  that 
lies  nearest  to  them  first;  in  other  words,  "What  to  do 
next.  No  one  can  do  the  second  thing;  he  can  do  the  first." 
Bound  up  in  the  same  cover  is  a  capital  story  called 
"  Dorrie's  Day,"  in  which  are  related  the  adventures  of  a 
little  girl  who  went  to  sleep  in  the  cars  and  got  carried  out 
of  her  way.  The  history  of  what  she  did,  and  how  she  got 
home,  will  interest  the  children. 

MRS.  HARRY  HARPER'S  AWAKENING.  A  Missionary 
story  by  Pansy.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00. 
This  is  one  of  Pansy's  "  lesson  books,"  in  which,  under  the 
guise  of  a  story,  she  drives  home  a  truth  so  thoroughly  that 
the  dullest  and  most  unimpressible  reader  cannot  help  seeing 
and  feeling  it  Mrs.  Harry  Harper  was  a  young  wife  in  a 
strange  city,  without  acquaintances,  and  with  nothing  to  do 
during  the  long  hours  of  the  day  while  her  husband  was  ab- 
sent at  his  business.  One  day  in  walking  aimlessly  along 
the  street  she  follows  a  crowd  of  ladies  into  what  she  sup- 
poses is  a  bazar,  but  what  she  soon  discovers  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary meeting.  Her  attention  is  excited  by  what  she  sees 
and  hears  ;  her  sympathies  and  religious  feelings  are 
awakened,  and  she  enters  into  practical  Christian  work  with 
all  her  heart  and  soul.  The  book  is  one  of  serious  purpose 
and  falling  into  the  hands  of  people  like  Mrs.  Harper  will  be 
a  means  of  undoubted  good. 

PIZARRO;  or,  The  Discovery  and  Conquest  of  Peru.  Il- 
lustrated. Edited  by  Fred  H.  Allen.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop 
&  Co.  Price  $1.00.  This  is  the  third  volume  in  Mr.  Allen's 
valuable  little  series,  and  is  a  concise  and  interesting  history 
of  a  country  which  at  this  very  moment  is  undergoing  a 
conquest  as  bloody  and  exhaustive  as  that  which  occurred 
350  years  ago,  when  the  Spanish  ancestors  of  the  present 
race  of  Peruvians  carried  fire  and  slaughter  into  the  homes 
of  the  native  inhabitants.  The  story  is  told  with  spirit, 
and  with  enough  detail  to  enable  the  reader  to  get  a  clear 
and  connected  idea  of  the  different  campaigns  of  Pizarro  in 
South  America  from  the  time  of  his  landing  on  its  shores  in 
1509  until  his  assassination  by  his  own  countrymen  in  his 
bouse  in  Lima  in  1541. 


CRITICISMS. 


MY  DAUGHTEB  SUSAX.  By  Paiisy.  With  fifteen  illus- 
trations by  Miss  Humphrey.  Boston:  D.  Lotlirop  &  Co. 
Paper  covers,  50  cents.  Here  is  a  book,  to  use  an  expression 
of  Hawthorne,  transfixed  with  a  purpose.  A  book  for  sum- 
mer reading,  bright,  sharp,  and  thoroughly  interesting,  and 
yet  containing  something  more  than  a  mere  story.  Its  key- 
note is  temperance,  and  we  doubt  if  any  lecturer  ever  put 
his  arguments  in  more  telling  shape  or  made  his  illustra- 
tions more  fascinating  than  the  author  has  done  in  this  little 
work.  "My  Paughter  Susan"  is  an  original  character;  a 
woman  of  strong  mind  and  fixed  principles,  brilliant  and 
sympathetic;  the  life  of  social  gatherings,  and  yet  a  most 
determined  opponent  of  the  various  temptations  which  are 
offered  at  such  places  in  the  way  of  wines  and  intoxicating 
Jiquors.  The  book  is  the  history  of  her  experiences  for  a 
single  day,  and  shows  what  can  really  be  accomplished  by 
determined  effort  in  a  righteous  cause.  The  illustrations  are 
capital  and  add  to  the  attractions  of  the  volume. 
A  NEW  SUMMER  BOOK. 

"  My  Daughter  Susan  "  is  in  Pansy's  best  vein,  and  noth- 
ing more  need  be  said  to  those  acquainted  with  her  writings. 
With  rare  insight  into  character,  and  as  rare  a  gift  for  story- 
telling, she  unites  a  humor  bubbling  over  in  perpetual  fun, 
and  an  intense  earnestness,  loathing  meanness  and  wrong, 
which  keep  a  reader  vibrating  between  laughter  and  tears, 
and  revive  the  best  elements  in  his  nature.  Her  books  are 
of  the  healthiest  kind,  and  admirable  companions  for  sum- 
mer travel.  The  illustrations  of  the  volume  are  particularly 
good. 


Six  LITTLE  REBELS.  By  Kate  Tannatt  Woods. 
25  crayon  drawings  by  Boz.  Price,  $i  50.  Boston: 
D.  Lothrop  &  Co. 

Six  LITTLE  REBELS,  is  a  charming  story  of  five 
southern  children,  brought  to  one  of  our  quiet  New 
England  towns  during  the  civil  war.  If  the  south  has 
many  such  families,  a  great  future  lies  before  it,  for  a 
liner  group  of  children  it  would  be  hard  to  reproduce 
in  any  part  of  the  world.  The  characters  are  finely 
drawn,  fresh  and  natural  as  a  June  morning.  They 
accomodate  themselves  to  New  England  life  as  if  to 
the  manor  born ;  and  their  adventures,  and  sporting 
humor,  and  loving  ways  make  up  a  delightful  book. 

Their  temperary  home  was  well  chosen.  Dr.  War- 
rington  is  a  genuine  New  Englander,  with  shrewd  in- 
sight, quiet  ways,  and  a  perfect  self-mastery,  which 
assures  him  great  influence  over  others.  His  daugh- 
ter Dolly  is  a  jewel,  modest,  self-distrustful,  but  gifted 
with  Yankee  faculty,  equal  to  all  emergencies ;  Axy,  too, 
the  maid  of  all  work,  and  Aunt  Lucinda  are  admirable 
specimens  of  New  England  character.  The  book  is 
certain  to  be  a  favorite  with  children,  who  will  have 
no  end  of  laughter  over  the  pranks,  of  Lex,  the  mis- 
chievous colored  imp,  and  as  much  enjoyment  over 
the  sweet  prattle  of  baby  Bertie.  We  can't  have  too 
much  of  such  literature. 


OUR    BOOK     TABLE. 

POOR  PAPA.  By  Mary  W.  Porter.  Illustrated.  Boston  : 
D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Paper  covers,  50  cents.  Of  all  the  lately 
published  books  in  which  children  bear  a  principal  part, 
one  of  the  most  natural  and  charming  is  Poor  Papa.  It 
breathes  the  very  spirit  of  childhood,  and  one  is  inclined  to 
believe  that  the  author  must  have  drawn  her  characters  from 
living  models.  Few  writers  have  the  faculty  of  describing 
children  as  they  are,  and  many  of  the  so-called  "juvenile  " 
books  published  are  dreary  failures  simply  because  their 
writers  have  no  sympathy  with  their  subjects.  The  children 
whom  Miss  Porter  describes  are  genuine  children  and  not 
make-believe.  They  have  all  the  indescribable  ways  and 
peculiarities  that  make  little  people  oftentimes  riddles  to 
their  elders.  Their  journey  abroad  with  "  Poor  Papa,"  who 
comes  all  the  way  over  the  ocean  for  them,  their  adventures, 
their  quaint  observations  on  what  they  see  and  hear,  their 
thorough  enjoyment  of  everything,  the  comical  surprises 
they  are  continually  giving  those  around  them,  are  delight- 
fully set  forth,  and  will  be  as  fascinating  reading  for  the 
older  as  for  the  younger  ones. 

"  Poor  Papa "  is  sure  to  be  a  favorite.  It  is  a  graphic 
story  of  the  perplexities  of  a  father,  left  a  widower,  to  care 
for  two  children.  The  father  is  an  artist,  absorbed  in  paint- 
ing, and  having  no  knowledge  of  child -nature;  while  his  two 
children,  loving  and  true,  are  like  young  colts,  with  irrepres- 
sible life  and  spirits,  and  perpetually  in  trouble.  They  have 
many  amusing  adventures  in  Italy,  from  their  rollicking  love 
of  freedom  and  fun,  and  barely  escape  with  life  from  a 
governess,  whose  martinet  habits  transform  her  into  an  ogre, 
delighting  in  torture.  But  the  troubles  of  papa  and  children 
find  a  happy  solution  in  the  advent  of  a  new  mamma,  the 
eister  of  a  brother  artist,  whose  fine  womanly  instincts  have 
helped  the  children  already  over  many  a  hard  place.  Sum- 
mer travellers  will  have  many  a  hearty  laugh  over  the  vol- 
ume, and  enjoy  equally  the  humor  of  the  children  and  the 
perplexities  of  "Papa." 


ENTERTAINMENTS. 


Comprising  Directions  for  Holiday 
Merrymakings,  New  Programmes  for  Amateur  Perform- 
ances, and  Many  Novel  Sunday-school  Exercises.  Collect- 
ed and  Edited  by  Lizzie  W.  Champney.  Boston :  D.  Lo- 
throp  «fe  Co.  Price  $1.00.  Mrs.  Champney  is  known  as  a 
popular  magazine  writer,  a  poet  of  no  mean  ability. 
The  volume  before  us  is  a  specimen  of  her  skill  in  another 
direction — that  of  selection  and  compilation;  a  work  requir- 
ing rare  judgment  and  almost  as  much  ability  as  would 
be  necessary  to  produce  an  original  work.  The  table  of  con- 
tents includes  exercises  for  Temperance  gatherings,  Fourth 
of  July,  Missionary  concerts,  Decoration  day,  Thanksgiving 
and  Christmas.  Principally,  however,  they  are  intended  for 
use  at  Sunday-school  exhibitions  and  concerts.  The  ele- 
ment of  entertainment,  says  the  author,  must  enter  even  in- 
to religion,  if  it  is  to  be  dear  to  the  popular  heart.  Enter- 
tainments, at  any  rate,  the  multitude  will  have;  it  only  re- 
mains for  Christians  to  decide  whether  they  shall  make  this 
mighty  power  a  Christian  force,  or  leave  all  the  merry  and 
bright  things  of  this  life  to  the  service  of  Satan.  Sunday- 
school  literature  is  very  defective  in  dialogues  and  recita- 
tions of  an  attractive  character,  and  the  preparation  of  a 
programme  for  such  occasions  is  a  matter  of  supreme  diffi- 
culty. To  make  it  easier,  and  to  provide  a  source  from 
which  material  may  be  drawn  for  almost  any  occasion,  the 
present  work  has  been  prepared.  Most  of  the  matter  is  new, 
and  is  contributed  by  persons  of  experience  in  musical  mat- 
ters and  entertainments  of  all  kinds. 

A  chapter  on  "  Accessories,  Decorations,  Scenery,"  etc., 
furnishes  full  information  upon  those  subjects,  and  a  num- 
ber of  patterns  for  evergreen  decorations  for  Christmas  en- 
tertainments are  given.  Taken  altogether,  the  book  exactly 
fills  the  place  for  which  it  was  designed,  and  will  be  warmly 
welcomed  not  only  by  schools  and  societies,  but  in  every  fam- 
ily where  there  are  children  to  be  amused  and  instructed. 


EXCELLENT    BOOKS. 

Six  MONTHS  AT  Mus.  PRIOR'S.  By  Emily  Adams.  Illus- 
trated. Bostoii:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  1.25.  . 

"In  this  fresh  little  story,  which  is  addressed  especially  to 
young  girls,  the  author  tries  to  impress  the  lesson  that  the 
disagreable  and  annoying  duties  of  life  may  he  made  pleasant 
by  accepting  them  as  inevitable,  and  asking  help  from 
above.  Mrs.  Prior  is  the  \vid  <w  of  a  clergyman,  and  has 
been  left  with  five  little  ones  to  support.  She  discharges  her 
servant,  and  divides  the  lighter  duties  of  the  household 
between  herself  and  the  two  eldest  of  her  children ,  Minnie 
and  Helen.  Unaccustomed  to  any  thing  but  study  and  play, 
the  girls  find  it  very  hard  to  have  their  old  time  appointments 
for  enjoyment  circumscribed,  and  complain  bitterly  at  first. 
The  book  gives  a  history  of  their  experience,  and  shows  how 
the  work  that  was  so  irksome  at  first  became  in  the  end  a 
•ource  of  pleasure  and  means  of  healthful  discipline. 

"  Six  Months  at  Mrs.  Prior's  "  is  a  sweet  story  of  womanly 
tact  combined  with  Christian  trust.  A  widow,  with  scanty 
means,  makes  a  home  happy  for  a  group  of  children,  restless, 
wayward  and  aspiring,  like  many  American  children  of  our 
day.  The  mother's  love  holds  them,  her  thrift  cares  foi 
them,  her  firmness  restrains,  and  her  Christian  words  and 
life  win  them  to  noble  aims  and  living.  The  influence  of  the 
Christian  household  is  widely  felt,  and  the  quiet  transform- 
Ing  leaven  works  in  many  homee.  We  can't  have  too  many 
books  of  this  kind  in  the  family  or  Sunday-school." 

Miss  PRICILLA  HUNTER,  by  Pansy,  opens  a  new  view 
for  that  charming  writer,  but  one  eminently  popular  at  the 
present  time.  It  deals  with  the  payment  of  a  church  debt, 
and  shows  how  an  humble  woman,  with  a  Christian  charac- 
ter which  gave  power  to  her  words,  raised  the  money  to  pay 
off  a  debt  which  had  long  been  a  hindrance  to  church  growth 
and  to  Christian  benevolence.  Why  she  did  it,  and  how  slia 
did  it,  is  told  in  Pansy's  best  fashion:  her  encounters  with 
crabbed  folks,  and  stingy  folks,  and  folks  determined  not  to 
give  to  the  church  debt,  are  highly  amusing,  as  well  as  her 
device*  to  get  lomething  from  everybody. 


LINKS  Ef  REBECCA'S  LITE.  By  "  Pansy."  Price,  (1.60. 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co. 

"Pansy"  has  no  rival  as  an  author  of  the  best  class  of 
Sunday-school  books.  Her  "  Ester  Ried"  and  "Chautauqua 
Girls  "  series  are  models  in  that  important  line  of  literature. 
Her  new  book,  "  Links  in  Rebecca's  Life,"  is  worthy  of  a 
place  in  the  same  list.  This  book  is  an  admirable  one.  Its 
tone  is  healthy  and  stimulating,  without  a  trace  of  senti- 
ment all  «m  or  cant:  and  its  characters  are  thoroughly  natu- 
ral, such  as  any  reader  can  recognize  in  the  community  in 
which  be  happens  to  live.  The  heroine,  Rebecca,  is  intense- 
ly human,  with  a  noble  nature  in  which  many  weaknesses 
hide  themselves  and  coine  often  to  the  surface.  But  she  is 
a  Christian  of  the  best  type,  and  her  aspirations  and  hard- 
fought  battles  inspire  enthusiasm  in  a  reader.  The  Com- 
mittee on  International  Lessons  couldn't  do  a  better  thing 
than  to  circulate  this  book  in  every  part  of  the  land.  It 
shows  how  the  lessons  may  be  made  helpful  in  the  daily 
life,  and  how  the  Old  Testament  may  be  taught  with  in- 
terest to  an  Infant  School,  or  to  men  and  women  of  every 
congregation. 

ECHOING  AND  RE-ECHOING.  By  Faye  Huntington.  Price 
$1.50.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.,  publishers. 

It  shows  great  ignorance  of  the  Sunday-school  literature 
of  our  day,  when  one  calls  it  weak  and  namby-stuff,  with  an 
equal  mixture  of  love-stories,  and  impossible  adventures. 
The  censure  is  just  for  a  certain  class  of  books,  but  a  large 
library  may  be  gathered  of  first-class  works  admirable  alike 
in  moral  tone  and  in  literary  execution,  books  which  every- 
body can  read  with  delight  and  profit.  "Echoing  and  Re- 
echoing" is  a  book  of  this  sort,  a  well-told  story,  abounding 
with  practical  lessons,  and  inciting  to  a  noble  Christian  life. 
The  most  intelligent  opponent  of  religious  novels  will  find 
his  prejudices  giving  way  in  reading  it,  and  a  fastidious  lit- 
erary reader  will  be  thankful  that  children  have  such  good 
books  for  moulding  their  literary  tastes. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


